Let's Be Still
by she.a.punk
Summary: "And I will never ask you to do anything you don't want to do, unless it means keeping you safe. Thats all I want. For you to be happy. For you to be safe." - A romantic, angsty, drama and fluff filled look at nine special months in Ronon and Jennifer's lives. Est R/K, pre-ship Shepherd/Cadman. Appearances from Teyla, Rodney, Jack O'Neil, Lorne and Carson. - COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Here's my next foray, been working on this for a while and it's almost done, so updates should be quick. If you enjoy please drop me a line! -Punk

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Stargate Atlantis or The Head and the Heart

_The world's just spinning_

_A little too fast_

_If things don't slow down soon _

_we might not last_

_So just for the moment, let's be still_

_Lets Be Still - The Head and The Heart_

SGASGASGA

_First Trimester 0 - 13 weeks_

Jennifer stared at herself in the mirror. Dressed in her uniform, hair up in a ponytail, she looked...exactly the same as she had the day before. The week before. Really, she hadn't changed much since high school. Only she had.

Something had changed _a lot_.

She sighed for a third time in as many minutes. The last couple of days had been an emotional roller coaster. Between the new recruits brought in on the Deadalus and the subsequent tours, sparring injuries, emergency medical field trainings she'd been leading and...the elephant in the room...Jennifer was pretty sure she hadn't been this exhausted since her first year of residency.

Another sigh.

And it wasn't over yet.

Giving herself a small determined nod in the mirror, she thought out the light and turned to leave the bathroom, only to bump directly into a Satedan door jam.

"Ronon." She grunted. She hadn't stumbled but Ronon's hands shot out to steady her anyway.

"You okay?" He said, his tone slightly more concerned than necessary. His gaze bounced between her face and her stomach a few times before coming to rest on her eyes.

Jen gave him a wry smile. "If you're gonna be this freaked out this is going to be a very long nine months."

His body language relaxed slightly and his hand slid off her arms but instead of letting her go completely one hand came to rest on her lower abdomen.

"Not freaked out."

Jen snorted. "Oh really? Because I'm pretty sure every time I got up to go to the bathroom," _or throw up_, "last night you were awake."

In fact he would shoot straight up in bed the moment her feet touched the floor the half dozen or so times she'd gotten up the night before. He hadn't spoken, but he was always waiting just outside the bathroom door when she came back out, guiding her back to bed by the small of her back. Or carrying her, as the case had been at around 4 am when she'd been dry heaving into the toilet for half an hour and had tried to convince him that it would be more efficient to let her sleep - or die - there on the bathroom floor.

"I always wake up when you get out of bed." He countered, but the sheepish tone of his voice and how he was avoiding her gaze told her he knew she was right. "You sure you don't want me to go with you?" He asked, changing the subject.

She shook her head. "No. You promised to go off world with Teyla weeks ago. You can't back out now."

"I think she would understand."

Again, Jennifer shook her head. They'd agreed the night before they weren't telling anyone yet.

Well...except for one.

Ronon didn't argue, but he kept looking at her with those eyes that held that soft carefulness that had been overwhelming her every time their eyes met since she'd told him the previous afternoon.

She'd known, well, had been pretty sure that he would be happy. From what she knew about the indigenous peoples of Pegasus, they looked on childbirth as a happy occasion. A rebellious act against the Wraith. Another generation would live to fight them.

Still, the moments of heavy silence while she tried to wait patiently for him to process the information had been the slowest she could remember. He'd stared at her, speechless, and she'd fidgeted in anticipation and fear under the intensity of his gaze. She hadn't realized she was holding her breath until he started to smile and she'd exhaled so loudly they both started to laugh. When he caught her up into his arms and spun her around she'd been laughing so hard she almost hadn't been able to tell her that he was making her dizzy and she was going to throw up on his head if he didn't put her back down.

"I'm fine. I'll be fine." She nodded, punctuating the point, "and I go on shift in a few hours. I'll be here when you get back."

Ronon sighed and nodded, putting a hand on her shoulder to draw her to his chest and she willingly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. Usually it was Jennifer who initiated their frequent hugs, when she was happy, when she was sad. But Ronon had been known to pull her to him as well, almost always it was motivated by worry, an intense desire to feel her physically against him. Know she was there, know she was okay.

Jen recognized this for one of those embraces that comforted him as much as her and happily snuggled against him, letting him rest his chin on top of her head for as long as he needed.

She leaned back and looked at him when she felt his grip start to loosen.

Ronon sighed, dropping a kiss onto her lips. "I'll be back in a few hours.

SGASGASGA

Jen stood outside the Colonel's quarters for several minutes working up the courage to chime the door. It was the third strange look she was thrown by a passing member of the expedition that had her blowing her her bangs off her forehead in frustration and swiping her hand in front of the controls in one quick motion before she could change her mind again.

"Hey Doc, fancy meeting you here." John smiled and waved her inside, walking back across his quarters to the bed where he flopped down, placing his bookmark in the thick book on his bed.

"War and Peace? That's a pretty thick read."

John nodded. "Almost halfway through."

"Is it any good?"

He raised and lowered one shoulder and angled his head toward the chair near the foot of the bed, indicating she should sit. "It's long."

Jen smiled, scooting forward on the chair and pressing her hands between her knees. She looked at the floor.

"Soooo...what can I do for you Doc?" John tilted his head at the distracted look on her face. Not fearful though, just...distant.

"Um...I wanted to...well theres something you should know," she began slowly, "we aren't really telling anyone but I thought...well I figured you could...you should know. And maybe you would have...an idea...or something."

John raised an eyebrow. "There a problem?"

Jen shook her head, "no. Not exactly. Well, yes and no."

He narrowed his eyes at her hedging.

"Does Ronon know?"

"Yes," her eyes snapped to his. "Why?"

"Well, I figured if there is something wrong and Ronon doesn't know, you're telling me so he doesn't take care of it by going off like a loose cannon on my city. And if he does know you're probably telling me so I can stop him from going off like a loose cannon on my city."

Jen smiled ruefully and shook her head, "no...not that kind of problem. I mean...it's not a problem. Exactly."

"Yeah...you said that." He leaned back on his hands and crossed his feet at the ankles. John was practiced at waiting in situations like these. He'd found on Atlantis, surrounded by brilliant scientists who were often easily intimidated by someone who reminded them of childhood bullies, it took a while for some of them to get around to saying what they really needed to say. For Rodney, that meant urging him on impatiently with sharp tones and smacks on the head. For Jennifer, he was willing to wait.

"Um...yeah. I did." Jen stood and started pacing back and forth in front of him. "So, like I said, we aren't really telling anyone I just...it's really early to be telling anyone...anything could happen...but I thought with you being you. Ranking military officer on Atlantis, I figured you could use some extra lead time."

John narrowed his eyes, listening, trying to read the strain in her voice and the agitated hand movements she kept using. Touching her face, then her abdomen, then waving, then back to her abdomen.

Maybe she was injured? Maybe Ronon was? But why wouldn't she be in the infirmary?

"Where's Ronon?" John asked suddenly.

Jennifer stopped and looked at him. "Went off world with Teyla. He promised a while ago to go with her to help her carry some heavy things she traded for."

"Oh." He nodded.

"John." Jen had stopped pacing and was standing directly in front of his outstretched boots.

He looked at her.

"I'm pregnant."

Johns reaction was almost the opposite of Ronon's. Where Ronon had been quietly stunned, eyes unblinking and swirling with one emotion after another crashing over each other like a storm, John was instantly on his feet, instantly loud and the only emotion she saw was confusion.

"Wait. What?" He stumbled backward a couple steps, pointing at her stomach, "you're...you mean...in there?"

"Well yeah John. This may be Pegasus but this is still where we grow babies." She laughed and laid her hands on her stomach again. "And it's not contagious." She raised an eyebrow at him, now backed against the opposite wall of his room.

"Well yeah, I know but-" he stepped forward, hands out, hands down, hands balled up and then in his pockets. "Was it...you know...planned?"

Jen scrunched her face. "No. And before you ask, or are asked, I was on birth control. It just obviously wasn't tested in the Pegasus galaxy." _Or on young, virile Satedans._ She swallowed thickly. "And, like I said it's still really early. Until after the 8th or 9th week there's still a chance that...that..."

"Yeah," John cut her off so she wouldn't have to say it. He knew the odds, well enough anyway. He swallowed and was quiet for a moment and then, "So why are you telling me?"

Jennifer resumed pacing. As she talked, John began to understand the strain he'd heard in her voice earlier.

"Well, I'm kind of painfully aware that the IOA won't be super happy about having a pregnant woman on their top secret base. I mean, I know Teyla was pregnant here but...she's from here. And I'm not. But Ronon is. So I don't know..." she shrugged, throwing her hands in the air. "I mean, I don't know if they will let me keep my job. I don't know if they'll let Ronon come to Earth with me. I...I need," she paused and turned toward him, "I need your help."

John blinked and nodded. It wasn't a question of 'if'.

"Okay. What are you thinking?" He stepped forward, the shock having worn off and the commander in him ready to start brainstorming solutions to their problem.

"I thought maybe you could make some under the radar inquiries. Find out what the IOA's stance on all of this might be, what kind of wiggle room there is. And," she took a deep breath, "I wanted to ask you if...if I were to resign...if you would consider allowing me to stay on the base as a...consultant maybe?"

John frowned, then licked his lips. "If you did that...you would probably never be allowed to go back to Earth."

Jennifer swallowed hard. "I know," she said quietly. Then proceeded with a little more bravery. "Thats why thats Plan D."

John raised an eyebrow.

"Plan A is I get to keep my job on Atlantis," she began, ticking the plans off on her fingers, "Plan B is I get fired but Ronon gets to come back to Earth with me. Plan C is always for C4 and not really applicable to my situation," he smiled a little at that and it put her at ease, "so that leaves us with Plan D."

John nodded and stared at her for a moment. She looked hopeful, she looked tired. She looked young.

And scared witless.

But he figured that was normal for the situation.

"I'll ask around. See what I come up with."

She graced him with a relieved smile and John was left with that warm feeling in his chest that said he'd made at least a few good choices in life.

"Thank you Colonel."

She turned and John fell into step beside her, walking her to the door.

"I guess...congratulations Doc." He smiled at her, "How far along are you?"

Jen sighed. "Five and a half weeks. I think. If the nausea, fatigue, mood swings and bathroom frequency is anything to go by."

John grimaced. "Sounds like fun."

"Oh yeah, a blast." She stepped into the corridor and then turned back after taking a step. "Oh and uh, you might want to read in General O'Niell. I think he might be helpful."

John raised his eyebrows but tilted his head in acknowledgment. "Sure thing, Doc."


	2. Chapter 2

A week or so later John sat in his office in the afternoon, trying to focus on some supply requisition requests he needed to approve, but mostly succeeding in daydreaming about what he thought might be served in the mess for dinner that night.

He looked up at the sound of a knock on the door and his foot fell off the side of his desk when he jerked slightly at the sight of Laura Cadman leaning against the doorframe.

Her hair was down, the soft red locks were vibrant against the shoulders of her regulation black tee shirt. Dressed in BDU bottoms and combat boots she looked comfortable and military and somehow distractingly, unavoidably, feminine.

"Busy?" She asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

John made a face and lifted the tablet in his lap. "Weapons requisitions," he gave it a waggle, "Do I want to know why you're requesting three canisters of RDX for the next supply run?"

Cadman blinked and her smile turned sweet. Too sweet.

"No."

John sighed, shaking his head as he affixed his digital signature to the request. "Just…don't do anything McKay is gonna yell at me for, okay?"

"I never blow up anything I don't intend to, Colonel." She rolled her eyes when he pinned her with a knowing look. "That was one time!"

"What can I do for you Cadman?" John said, shaking his head again. The woman was incorrigible. But then, that was probably why she fit in so well on their base of bull-headed scientists and brilliant military personnel who seemed to function on a level that was equal parts stubborn loyalty and near insubordination.

"You know anything about Satedan wedding ceremonies?"

John's head snapped up. Cadman had come to sit in the chair in front of his desk and leaned one elbow on the armrest, chin in hand.

"You planning to propose to Ronon?"

"No."

"Good." He returned to his tablet.

"But Jen is."

His eyes moved up again. "What?"

She blinked lazily at him, unbothered by his seeming shock. "You heard me."

"But…why?" He paused. He wondered if Cadman knew about the baby, but didn't say anything. Jen had said they were keeping it quiet, it wasn't his place to say if she didn't already know.

Laura wrinkled her forehead. "You really are clueless when it comes to matters of the heart, aren't you?"

John's gaze sharpened. "No. I just thought I was the commander of a military expedition. Not the set of Days of Our Lives."

"Same thing." Laura shrugged. "We're a long way from home on a semi-permanent expedition, people are bound to start coupling up." She gave him a mischievous smile, "You have your eye on anyone?"

John stiffened and returned his eyes to his tablet, despite having apparently lost his ability to read English. "I don't fraternize with people under my command."

Cadman sighed and sat back in her chair. "Technically the scientists aren't under you, they're under Woolsey. And I know a few marines who'd risk a court martial for you." She waggled her eyebrows, "Men _and_ women."

John coughed and his ears turned red but his gaze remained admirably unchanged.

"Well you can keep those names to yourself."

Laura inhaled deeply and moved to stand. "Don't get your panties in a twist, sir." She walked back toward the door, a slight skip in her step knowing she'd gotten under his skin. "Just try to get the info from Ronon, will you? And be stealthy about it. Jen wants to surprise him."

"What? How?" He stood up and Cadman stopped to turn around. "I can't just…just…ask him about that."

"Why not?"

"It would be weird." He shook his head, "He would know something was up."

Cadman sighed again and took a few steps back toward him. "Just..be casual about it. You guys must talk, aren't you like best friends?"

"Yeah, but we're also guys. We talk about military strategy and sports…not our love lives."

"His love life you mean," she snorted, "since apparently you're not allowed to have one."

John narrowed his eyes. "So that's why."

"Why what?"

"Why you're still just a lieutenant." He dipped his chin meaningfully and sat back down, picking up his discarded tablet again.

Cadman sighed. "Just get the information John." At his raised eyebrow she shifted. "I mean sir. Please."

John shook his head. "Fine. I'll see what I can do."

She beamed at him and John swallowed, pretending not to notice.

"Great, thanks." She backed toward the door. "Oh and, uh, Colonel?"

He looked up and met her eyes.

"I won't mention any names, but uh..." She smiled, gave him an exaggerated wink and then disappeared around the corner.

John dropped his head into his hands.

"Crap."

SGASGASGA

"Did you talk to John?" Jen asked, laying on Laura's couch in her quarters. One arm was slung over her eyes, the other hand on her stomach, she resisted the urge to rub and instead drummed her fingers lightly.

She was so exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open and the most strenuous thing she'd done that day was walk to Woolsey's office and back to the infirmary. She hadn't even seen any patients. Since she was just staring at her laptop, too tired to even type, and they didn't have any patients, she'd told Marie she was taking the afternoon off and headed back to her quarters for a nap.

Three hours later Cadman had radioed her asking if she wanted to come watch a movie. Ronon was teaching an advanced weapons class all afternoon so she'd taken her up on the offer. But she'd been so worn out by the walk to and from the transporter that she'd immediately collapsed on Cadman's surprisingly comfortable futon when she arrived.

"Yeah, I told you. Three days ago."

Laura's voice sounded from somewhere behind and to her left and was slightly muffled. Jen guessed she was rummaging in the small cabinet by the door next to her bathroom where she kept her dvds.

"He hasn't said anything?"

"Not yet," there was the sound of a crinkling wrapper and this time Jen guessed Laura had retrieved a bag of popcorn. That made her smile slightly. Popcorn was one of the few things that didn't make her queasy lately and Laura would have to walk down to the mess to get it popped and Jennifer could probably snag a quick nap while she was gone.

Yes, she'd just woken from a nap. Yes, she was still tired.

Too tired, in fact, to care about talking to herself about naps.

"You sure you don't want me to talk to Ronon for you?"

"No!" Jen sat up quickly, "You have all the subtlety of a 2 ton bomb Laura and I-"

It was then that Jen realized it wasn't popcorn Cadman had been fiddling with. It was an open bag of potato chips.

Salt and Vinegar.

Laura followed Jen's narrowed gaze to the bag in her hand and held it out to her.

"Want some?"

The color drained from Jen's face and she clapped a hand over her mouth. Panicked flailing limbs flew outward and Laura stumbled backward and Jen pushed past her, almost tripping over her own feet in her haste to get to the bathroom. Her hand slapped clumsily at the door sensor and she half jumped, half fell through before the door had even fully retracted.

"Jen!" Laura dropped the snack onto the couch and followed her friend. "God, Jen are you okay?"

The doctor was bent over the toilet, retching violently and Laura reached for her hair, quickly swiping it up and holding it back. She knelt beside her and used her free hand to rub her back, worry furrowing her brow.

"Why didn't you say you were sick? I thought you were just laying down because you'd had a busy day in the infirmary." She brought her voice down a couple octaves when Jen moaned and mumbled something about 'not sick' into the toilet. After a few minutes the toilet helpfully flushed itself when Jen turned to lay her head on her outstretched arms.

Her eyes were screwed shut and she winced against the taste in her mouth.

"You're definitely sick," Laura tsked, moving her hand from Jen's back to press against her forehead. "You're a little bit warm."

Jen slapped her hand away. "No I'm not I'm fine."

No sooner had the words left her mouth and she had climbed to her feet than the whole world turned fuzzy, floaty, spun and then went black.

"Jen!" Laura shrieked, jumping forward just in time to catch her friend's form as she went limp and she slumped back toward the floor again.

"Cadman to the infirmary!"

Laura sagged in relief when Marie's voice immediately responded, her steady voice promising to send someone to transport the CMO to the infirmary calming Cadman's suddenly frayed nerves. She frowned down at her friend's head in her lap and smoothed her hair back on her head.

"What have you gotten yourself into this time, Keller?"

SGASGASGA

Ronon sat cross legged on top of the desk in the Armory, watching the new recruits disassemble and clean the P90s they'd been using during the training. He'd wrapped the class up early, wanting to get back to Jennifer as quick as possible. She'd been tired a lot lately and this morning she'd complained of more nausea and a headache.

He'd helped her off the floor when she'd emptied what little she'd eaten the night before into the toilet and deposited her in a hot bath before he left. She'd promised to relax as long as possible before her shift started and to stop by the mess on her way to try to find something to eat.

His gaze shifted off the men and their weapons and to the floor, remembering the tired, happy look she'd given him when he kissed her before he left. He was overwhelmed again with the surge of protectiveness he felt every time he thought of her, amplified lately by the life he knew she carried within. It had been a week since she told him and every time he thought of it he was overcome by an intense desire to be by her side, coupled with a sense of utter helplessness.

_She_ was carrying their child, his child. _She_ was growing it and nourishing it and protecting it. _She_ dealing with the difficulties of pregnancy. And she was doing it admirably.

He just didn't know if there was anything he had to offer to help.

His eyes slipped to his blaster in his thigh holster on the desk next to him.

Then there was everything else.

Would they be able to stay on Atlantis? Would their child grow up in the shadow of the Wraith as he had? Or did dangers and challenges he didn't understand or know how to handle await them in another galaxy? Would it be a boy or girl? Warrior or life giver? Would he remember enough of what his father had tried to teach him to pass it on? Or had running from the wraith for so long taken that from him too? Did he remember how to be gentle? How to make a child laugh? Would the child fear him the way other people did? Would they know he loved them? Would he know how to show it?

Teyla stood next to Ronon and tilted her head, watching him as he stared unseeing at his weapon beside him. She nodded at the last of the men who filed out of the room and picked up the key from the desk beside her friend to lock the weapons locker. She was surprised when, even at the clang of the lock sliding into place, Ronon did not stir.

It was not like him to be so distracted. She could hardly remember a time when he was in a room and didn't glance toward the door every few minutes. He was always aware, always ready. And certainly never, ever, startled.

The behavior was so unusual that she started herself when she touched his arm and his head snapped toward her, jumping to his feet.

"Teyla," he said, his breathing a little short and erratic. He wasn't used to being startled anymore than she was used to seeing it.

"Are you well?" She asked, brown eyes roaming over him carefully, "you were…preoccupied."

Ronon took a deep, steadying breath used the excuse of picking up his blaster and walking across the room to take a few extra moments to collect himself.

"Yeah," he rumbled, facing away from her as he put the weapon away in his locker. "Thinking."

"I noticed," she angled her head, "Would you like to talk about it?"

Ronon crossed his arms and looked at her. He supposed if he were to talk to anyone it would be Teyla. She had a child and, unlike almost everyone else around, had grown up in Pegasus as he had. Yet, words came to him with enough difficulty as it was when he knew what he wanted to say. As confusing and disjointed as things were to him now, he wasn't sure he could come up with anything intelligent to tell her.

Before he could open his mouth to try there was a click and a voice in his ear and he reached up to activate his radio.

"Go ahead Cadman."

_"Ronon, did you know Jennifer was sick? You should have told me."_

He frowned, tilting his head. "What are you talking about?"

_"She just passed out in my bathroom after puking her guts out! I couldn't wake her up!"_

Ronon's heart skipped and then dropped to his feet. Something in his expression must have changed because suddenly Teyla was tense and standing beside him, a waiting, ready look on her face.

"I'm on my way."

_"We're headed toward the infirmary. But if there is something you didn't tell me you and I are gonna have more than words, buddy."_

Ronon grunted, deactivated the radio and turned to leave the armory at a run, Teyla was hot on his heels.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Jen frowned, recognizing the antiseptic smell of the infirmary before she fully comprehended what it meant.

Opening her eyes, she was met with the soft, smiling face of Marie.

"Hey there, welcome back." She glanced at her vitals and then removed the IV taped to the back of Jen's hand, soothing the sore area with a cool thumb.

"Do me a favor and try to eat a little more regularly, will you? At least for the next few months?" Marie raised her eyebrows meaningfully and Jennifer flushed as the other doctor helped her sit up. Aside from John and Ronon, Marie was the only person who knew about Jennifer's condition. She'd recognized it was probably a good idea to get a second opinion on hers and the baby's health, since she could sometimes have a blind eye when it came to her own needs.

A fact that had been painfully made clear to her, yet again, by the vomiting/fainting debacle in Cadman's quarters.

"I haven't had much of an appetite." She grimaced, waving off Marie's words before she spoke. "I know, I know. I'll do better. I promise."

The other woman raised an eyebrow in annoyance. "Good," she glanced over her shoulder where she could just barely see through the privacy curtain that she'd pulled around Jen's bed. "But as an added incentive I'm going to let you deal with _this_ all on your own."

"Deal with wha-"

Jen didn't get a chance to finish. All she saw was a flurry of red hair and then was surrounded by the scent of clean linen and the sensation of being smooshed as Cadman caught her in a bone crushing hug.

"Are you okay? Are you nuts? How long had it been since you'd eaten?" Laura fired off the questions one after another. "Don't worry, I called Ronon. I didn't know you hated Salt and Vinegar chips you could have just said so you don't have to be so dramatic about it."

Jen pulled away and grabbed Laura's arms.

"You did what?"

Laura blinked. "I ate chips that made you throw up your guts?"

"You called Ronon." Jen jumped off the bed and brushed off Laura's arms corralling her in case she fainted again.

She'd made it exactly two steps away from the bed when a shadow crossed her path, accompanied by a growl and sudden weightlessness as Ronon lifted her and placed her back on the recently vacated infirmary cot. Automatically Jennifer's arms had snaked themselves around his neck, but she was surprised when he didn't immediately pull back and pin her with one of his trademark "what the hell is wrong with you" glares.

Instead his arms stayed wrapped around her waist, his face stayed pressed into her hair and she felt his muscles trembling beneath his skin, his breathing heavy and slightly erratic against her ear. Frowning slightly, Jen looked toward Cadman and Teyla who'd come to stand beside her.

"Guys, could you give us a minute?"

Cadman and Teyla both nodded slowly and stepped back. Glancing once more between them with a thoughtful look, Laura drew the privacy curtain back around the pair.

Jen swallowed and rubbed Ronon's arms, encouraging him to loosen his hold on her.

Ronon took a steadying breath and straightened, moving his hands to her hips so he could maintain contact and dipping his head so he could meet her eyes.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice low and hoarse.

Jen could only nod, taken aback for a moment, in a way she hadn't been since they first started seeing each other, by the intensity of his gaze and the depth of emotion in his eyes. Concern, relief, worry…fear? Her eyes filled with tears and she wasn't sure if it was because of the way he was looking at her or…just because it took almost nothing to make her cry lately.

"I'm fine," she managed, sniffing to keep the tears at bay. "Just got a little dizzy and Laura overreacted." She reached up to cup his face, feeling his jaw muscles working there as he clenched and unclenched his teeth. "I'm okay, I promise."

Ronon's eyes fell shut a moment, and when he opened them again his emotions seemed to be a bit more under his control. He turned his head to one side to kiss her palm.

_Speaking of overreacting_, he reprimanded himself silently. It wasn't a very long run from the Armory to the infirmary, just a few minutes. But somehow it had been the longest few minutes of his life. His mind kept running through 'what ifs' and worst case scenarios and no matter what he did he couldn't shove them back down. He'd cycled through every emotion, some he didn't know he was capable of feeling anymore, as he'd approached the medical levels.

And panic. The cold ache that gripped his chest and sparked across ribs, constricting his lungs, making it hard to breathe. He hadn't felt that in a long time. Not since he'd stopped Running. Not when in a fire fight on an unknown planet, not when captured and bound by enemies.

Only here. Now. Knowing something had happened to Jennifer. Something was wrong. Wrong with _them_.

The relief that had flooded him on seeing her on her feet in the infirmary had crashed into him with such intensity he'd nearly stumbled to his knees.

He hadn't meant to keep holding onto her. He just couldn't seem to remember how to let go.

Jen swallowed, remaining still as his eyes traveled over her face and arms, finally dropping to her stomach and she bit her lip.

"We're fine," she assured him again, ducking her head to recapture his eyes.

He nodded, swallowing hard, not trusting himself to speak.

Jennifer grasped one of his hands and moved it to lay across her lower abdomen and covered it with her own. "Okay?"

Finally she felt him start to relax. He took a deep breath and nodded. He drug his eyes up to meet hers.

"You ever scare me like that again and I'll shoot you myself."

On the other side of the room, Laura stood with Teyla, eyeing the pulled privacy curtain warily and chewing on her thumbnail. She could hear soft laughter coming from the other side of it so she supposed she could take solace in that.

Beside her, Teyla was standing with her uncomfortably straight posture, tilting her head to one side. She hadn't spoken since Cadman finished telling her what had happened in her quarters, just kept staring straight ahead with a thoughtful, calculating look on her face.

"Hm." She made a noise in the back of her throat and Laura looked at her.

"What?"

Teyla glanced at the lieutenant and then smiled, a touch of mirth behind the polite expression and raised her eyebrows. "It is nothing. I must go check on Torren. Will you update me if there are any changes?"

Cadman nodded and narrowed her gaze on the Athosian's back as she strode out of the infirmary, trying to shake the feeling that she had missed something.

SGASGASGA

"Hows the Doc?" John winced, straightening his right leg and then shifting, grasping the left and pulling it into a deep hamstring stretch.

Ronon glanced up at him through his dreads from his reclined position on the floor, stretching his own legs and back.

"Fine." He twisted, turning his face toward the end of the corridor as he climbed to his feet. "West Pier?"

John nodded and fell into step beside his friend, their pace easy and light since John insisted on a recovery day after helping Ronon work through some devastating, undirected aggression (read: getting his ass handed to him at the end of a bantos stick) after the doc's trip to the infirmary the day before.

He focused on finding his stride for a few minutes, breathing in though his nose and out through his mouth. Their steps echoed as one as they wound their way through the still sleeping city and across seldom used catwalks.

"So…things are getting serious between you two?"

Ronon glanced at him again. They usually ran in mostly silence. He wondered if he pushed the pace a little harder if Shepherd would stop trying to pull him into conversation.

"Yeah."

"You're sure about that?"

Ronon frowned, "what do you mean?"

John shrugged, swiping one hand across the sweat beading on his forehead. "You said before you weren't ready. You are now I guess."

Ronon grunted, breathing through a slight hitch in his side from a bruise where Shepherd had connected with a stick the day before.

"So are you gonna ask her to marry you or something? Do you do that?"

Ronon stopped abruptly and John jogged past him a few paces as he slowly came to a stop. He turned around to meet Ronon's suspicious gaze.

"What?"

John put his hands on his hips and bent at the waist, partially to catch his breath and partially to cover his wince. He'd told Cadman this wouldn't work.

He stood up and shrugged. "Just a question."

"A weird question."

John bobbled his head. "Maybe. Look, I don't know. You're my friend I'm just…checking in. You care about the doc. Anyone can see that. I figured you might want to make things a little more official. I mean, if that's a Satedan thing anyway."

"It is." Ronon said, still slightly suspicious, but relaxing. It wasn't as if the thought hadn't occurred to him.

"Well there you go."

They stared in silence for a little while until John tilted his head, jerking his thumb in the direction they'd been running. "Shall we?"

Ronon hesitated a moment longer and then nodded, falling back into his stride easily, mind now humming with thoughts and questions and memories. He glanced to his left where John had fallen into their more typical running silence. But, atypically, his brow was furrowed in thought and he was biting his bottom lip in concentration. He wondered what it was his CO was thinking so hard about.

"So, you and Cadman?"

John's steps stuttered and he nearly fell, but caught himself on the railing.

"What?" He looked at Ronon with wide eyes, only to find the Satedan breathing heavily and smirking at him.

He cursed and started running again, pushing a little bit harder, hoping that would allow him to leave Ronon behind. It didn't. He stayed in step right beside him as if he didn't notice what John was doing.

"There is no me and Cadman." He said finally.

Ronon peeked at him out of the corner of his eye.

"You want there to be." He said in a tone that could have been a question if the other man wanted to interpret it that way.

"I'm her commanding officer." John said, shaking his head.

Ronon shrugged on shoulder. "So?"

"It would be a conflict of interest."

"For who?"

"For…for…" John struggled and then shook his head again, frowning. "for whoever."

"Cadman can handle herself," Ronon rumbled, pausing as they descended a few flights of stairs and then ran through a door that John thought open at the end of the hall so they didn't have to break their stride. "And I don't think anyone would care."

John scrunched his face and inhaled deeply as the salty air of the ocean whipped up the side of the pier and across their path.

"I don't think it works that way, Ronon."

"Why not?"

Not having a good answer, and kind of surprised that Ronon seemed to be better at these types of conversations than he was, John didn't respond. They ran in silence to the end of the pier and stopped to catch their breath for a few minutes before heading back.

"There is something…I'd like to do. With Jennifer," Ronon broke the silence again. "A…wedding kind of thing."

They stood side by side, both facing the choppy water, watching the sun come up.

"Anything you need me to...you know, do?"

Ronon took a deep breath and licked his lips. "Maybe. But first…" he hesitated and John looked at him. "Can you tell me about...your," he waved his hand vaguely, "…customs?"

John smiled, feeling warmed on the inside by the request. "Sure buddy. Lets start with the best part. The Bachelor party."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Second Trimester (14 - 28 weeks)

John set his laptop on the desk in Keller's room and looked over his shoulder at where she sat on her small couch kiddie corner from the desk, beside Ronon. She was definitely showing now, but if she kept her jacket zipped or was standing facing away from you, you still couldn't really couldn't tell.

"Ready?"

Ronon looked at Jennifer. She had her hands in her slightly diminished lap, twisting her fingers together while she chewed on her bottom lip. He placed one large hand over her two smaller ones, staying the movement, and nodded.

"We're ready."

John dipped his chin once and touched the radio in his ear.

"Control room this is Colonel Shepherd, patch the communication through to my laptop on a secure channel."

A few moments later the Atlantis logo on the screen disappeared and John stepped aside, revealing the image of General Jack O'Neill to the couple.

"Ronon. Colonel Shepherd," the General nodded at the men, "Ladybug."

John turned slowly toward the CMO, his eyebrows at his hairline. _Ladybug?_ He mouthed.

Jennifer turned three shades of pink and Ronon coughed to cover a grin.

"Uncle Ja-ack," Jennifer moaned.

"Sorry, sorry," the older man responded, though he clearly wasn't. He made a show of clearing his throat. "Dr. Keller, I mean."

John leaned against the desk with his arms crossed over his chest, entirely too amused looking for Jen's tastes.

"Am I uh," he waved between the flushing doctor and amused General, "missing something?"

Ronon was the one who answered, leaning back against the coach with one arm stretched out along the back while Jen was leaned forward, face in her hands.

"Jack has known Jennifer since she was born." He jerked his chin toward the computer, "He's her Dad's best friend."

"Or at least I thought he was."

"He is! You are." Jennifer said quickly, lifting her head.

O'Neil raised an eyebrow and captured her gaze. "Then why did I have to hear about this little predicament through the flyboy here? You couldn't come to me?"

Jen straightened, her eyes flickering between John, Jack and the floor.

"I um...well I didn't want to, you know," she shrugged, "impose on you?"

O'Neil snorted and John straightened.

"Oh, but you were fine imposing on me?"

"No, I just-"

"You're my witness Ronon," Jack interrupted, "she likes me better than him."

Ronon smirked. "I already knew that, General."

John sighed and rolled his eyes. "As much fun as this whole conversation is, do you have an update for us General?"

Immediately the tone in the room sobered and Jen found Ronon's hand over hers again as he leaned forward, but she kept her eyes glued on the screen. She found that despite having known the man for her entire life, Jen had no idea what was going on behind General O'Neil's eyes. He had a heck of a poker face, she'd give him that.

"I sure do John." O'Neil glanced down at something in front of him. "The IOA already has a policy in place regarding staff that has a circumstance change due to an altered medical status. Regulation 35A, subsection fourteen alpha under the heading-"

"Medical Status Change as it Relates to Full Time Off World Personnel." Jennifer spoke in tandem with the General. "But Jack that policy doesn't extend to obstetrics."

O'Neil's eyes slid up to hers without moving his head and his lips bent slightly upward at the corners.

"It does now."

Ronon felt the tension start to leave Jennifer's body and his eyes bounced back and fourth between her and the General. He suddenly wished he'd spent a little more time studying all the regulations Woolsey liked to forward to him a few times a week, because he had no idea what they were talking about.

Jen tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "The IOA approved that?"

Jack shrugged. "Sure."

"And by "sure" you mean you slipped it into one of their hundred or so policy updates they write up and approve every week and they rubber-stamped it?"

Another noncommittal shrug.

"Sure."

Ronon looked at John, but his CO seemed just as lost as him. Maybe he didn't need to read those updates after all.

"So that means...?" The colonel started, voicing the question Ronon wanted to ask.

Jen's face broke out into a wide grin and she burst into tears, turning around to fling her arms around Ronon's neck, laughing and crying against his neck. Automatically his arms encircled her small frame, holding her tight.

"R'non we...and so glad...we can...together." Between the hiccups and the sobs Ronon was pretty sure he could hear her smiling and, if the smile that was now crossing O'Neil's face was anything to go by, this policy update was a good thing.

Shepherd nodded from his perch on the desk, his legs crossed at the ankles, apparently having come to the same conclusion.

"Plan A it is."

After a few minutes, Jennifer calmed down enough to sit back down and wiped her eyes, Ronon was still grinning.

General O'Neil cleared his throat and they all turned.

"While I have you all here, seems as good a time as any to let you know, we have a situation developing." John stood from his leaning position and put his hands on his hips. Both Jennifer and Ronon straightened. "I've already talked to Woolsey, I need you guys here for a sitrep in two hours."

SGASGASGA

Jennifer's hands were shoved inside the pockets of the men's jacket she wore, surreptitiously rubbing her firm, getting-rounder-by-the-day stomach. It was still her division yellow, but instead of the form fitting female jacket, it was a boxy men's jacket that gave her the needed extra room for her expanding waistline. Biting her lip, her eyes watched the floor passing under her feet as she made her way toward Rodney's office.

They were due at the SGC in under an hour for a full debriefing, but for now, she knew enough. She had volunteered to be the one to tell Rodney, though it hadn't been much of a choice. Ronon and John had accompanied SGA2 through the gate to retrieve Cadman. Lorne's team would replace hers on MGP-151 to finish up the exploration and salvage of the ancient puddle jumper manufacturing lab there.

Ronon had tried to argue that he should stay with her, but she'd convinced him, with a little help from John, that she could handle Rodney by herself. And she could. She knew this would be difficult for Rodney on many levels and the last thing he needed was an overprotective Satedan reminder that she'd picked Ronon over him when she was delivering difficult news.

Jen glanced around the large lab, full to the ceiling with Ancient and Earth tech, each with their own sets of blinking lights, hums and vibrations. She followed the sound of keystrokes until she saw Rodney sitting on a stool along the counter in the far corner. He had earbuds in, bopping his head to music she couldn't hear, two cups of coffee beside him and a wrapper from a half-eaten MRE bar.

"Rodney?" She tried, but he didn't turn. She went closer and smiled slightly to hear him muttering the words to Hotel California under his breath.

"Rodney?" She said again, reaching out to touch his forearm. Rodney squeaked, though he would have called it a manly exclamation, and jumped off his stool, sending it rolling away to the other side of the room. His wide eyes closed when he recognized her and his left hand clutched his chest. He pulled his earbuds out.

"Jennifer," he exhaled loudly, "are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"I tried to get your attention." Jennifer smiled gently. "Are you okay?"

He took another deep breath and waved away her concern.

"Yes yes I'm fine." His eyes skipped over her, to his computer, to her stomach, back to her face and then back to his computer. "Can I, uh, help you?"

Jen pressed her lips together and pulled her hands out of her pockets, moving deliberately. She was used to his skittishness around her by now. It had been a bumpy road back to friendship for the two of them.

"Yeah, I came to ask you for a copy of your some of your research. I'm, um, headed to the SGC in about an hour."

"Oh," Rodney perked up, "anything interesting?"

Jen bobbled her head. "That's one word for it. There seems to be some kind of security issue, terrorists have gotten a hold of some of our information and are trying to weaponize it."

Rodney raised his eyebrows, sticking his left hand in his pocket, the fingers of his right wiggled animatedly.

"What kind of research?" He continued quickly before she could respond. "I only ask because, um, I should probably come along. I think we all know I'm the foremost expert on…well pretty much all of the research happening on Atlantis and my expertise could certainly be, you know, um, useful?"

"Well, its actually…"

"Who else is going, by the way?"

Jen paused. "Me, Ronon, Cadman and John."

"Cadman? Ronon?" Rodney wrinkled his forehead. "Why would they want Ronon?"

"Well-"

He snapped his fingers, nodding, his eyes falling to where she was holding her small baby bump again. "Right right, probably won't let you out of his sight." He swallowed and shook his head. "Well what about Cadman? I, uh, yeah, you know what? I should definitely go. Who knows what kind of stuff Cindy C4 will get into on Earth. They'll probably end up dialing Atlantis and asking me to come through and sort out the mess she makes anyway, so I'll just, uh-"

"Rodney," Jen reached forward, putting a staying hand on his arm where he'd shut his laptop and had begun gathering tablets and papers that were strewn around him.

"Oh, uh." Rodney stiffened and pulled away from her, Jen pulled her hand back.

"Sorry." She mumbled, clasping her hands together tightly.

He shook his head and took a few personal space preserving steps backward, shoving both his hands in his pockets.

"Its, um, fine. Don't, worry about it-"

"It's the explosive tumors." Jen blurted out.

"-I didn't mean to…what?"

Jen took a deep breath. "Someone it trying to weaponize the radiation that caused the explosive tumors that we encountered last year."

Rodney blanched, his eyes jerking back and forth as he processed the information.

"They're trying to…what?" He said quietly, his voice low and disbelieving. Jen took a small step forward, wishing to comfort him but then stopped, realizing she didn't know how.

"General O'Neil just told us. I..." she shook her head, "I don't have the details. I've been working on it, researching the case and the radiation off and on since then." Another unhealthy habit she'd developed. Something to focus on during long, lonely nights when Ronon was off world and sleep eluded her. She wrung her hands, shaking her head at the floor. At herself.

"I don't know why. I kept thinking maybe if I had…maybe there was something…" She shook her head again. She was surprised when a moment later Rodney's warm hand landed on hers and she looked up.

"Don't do that. To, um, to yourself." His voice was soft, uncharacteristically gentle. He kept her gaze as he pressed a flash drive into her hands. Suddenly he was glad, so glad, no one had asked him to go. He'd spent over a year trying to drown himself in work, trying to escape memories and guilt. He hadn't realized, until this moment, that he wasn't the only one.

"And um, thanks. For going." He gave her a small smile. "I'll be just an email away if you need me for anything."

Jen smiled in return and nodded. "Thanks Rodney."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Jen arched her back and stretched as much as she could without bumping the conference table and shifted in her chair. She was happy to be sitting after all the walking this morning. And the strange way the tingly after effects of gate travel that had lingered in her abdomen had finally subsided, but she was far from comfortable.

She wrinkled her nose, realizing she needed to pee again. She felt Ronon's hand slip in between her lower back and the conference room chair she sat in and sent him a grateful glance as his nimble fingers began massaging her there.

He winked at her quickly and then returned his attention to O'Neil's presentation.

"But why would anyone want a weapon that could put explosive tumors in someone? The explosions were unpredictable." John sat forward in his chair on the other side of the table, beside him Cadman was scowling at the papers in front of her.

"Suicide bombers," she said quietly. She looked up and locked eyes with Jennifer who nodded.

"With a weaponized version of this radiation they could turn random citizens into unwitting participants in their cause and they wouldn't have to lose any of their devotees."

John grimaced and muttered a curse. "And I thought the Wraith were monsters."

O'Neil pursed his lips in a grim line and gave them each a new piece of paper with an address and overhead pictures of a building.

"Yeah, humans can be pretty terrible monsters themselves," he sighed. "This is a picture of the compound where we think the terrorists are holed up with their research in the desert outside of Las Vegas. There have been a few smaller explosions in the area. One of the victims," he cleared his throat, "he's still alive."

Jen's eyes snapped up to the General and she noticed he was holding a medical chart in his hands, looking at her intently.

"Is that his medical chart?" She put out her hand, palm up. "Can I see it?"

Jack hesitated, his eyes wandering over her, evaluating, before they drifted over her head to look at Ronon.

Jen resisted the urge to roll her eyes and frowned. She snapped her fingers once, temper just a little shorter than normal between her aching feet, sore back, sudden hunger and persistent need to pee.

"_I'm_ the Doctor Jack." She huffed. "And if you alpha males are so worried that the fragile pregnant woman can't pull her weight, you should have left me on Atlantis." She sent a glare first to Ronon, who was avoiding her gaze, his hand still working the sore muscles in her back, and then John, who was suddenly enthralled with the papers in front of him. Laura was trying to hide a smirk behind her hands as she reached up to needlessly straighten her beret. Jen turned her dirty look back to the General and he sighed, passing her the file.

"You used to be nicer, Ladybug. What have you done to her?" He asked John in a stage whisper.

The Colonel lifted his hands in surrender. "Don't look at me."

Jen opened the file and took a steadying breath, reading quickly over the notes therein.

_Focus_. She scolded herself. She needed to focus on the medicine. The science. Otherwise her little speech would all be for naught and the aforementioned alpha males most certainly would pack her off back to Atlantis.

She'd found that Jelly Bean didn't like the more gruesome aspects of her job and her stomach rolled threateningly as her eyes skittered across the photos from the scene of the explosion and some of injuries sustained by the victim. But, as she'd explained to the stubborn child, this was part of her job. She couldn't stop doing her job just because he or she didn't like the way it made them feel about lunch.

Jen took another deep breath, dropping one hand to smooth over her protruding stomach, using her free hand to flip through the pages.

Ronon and John's eyes connected briefly, both noticing the tense way the doctor was holding herself as she read through the file, but both knowing better than to say anything. Instead, Ronon's hand switched from massaging to rubbing comfortingly across her upper back.

"Okay," Jen flipped the file closed. "I need to see him. In person."

John, Laura and Ronon's voices tumbled over one another.

"Whoa whoa whoa lets just-"

"I don't think that's a-"

"Jennifer that's not-"

Jen ignored them, her eyes locked on Jack O'Neil's. The older man dipped his chin, his eyes severe but understanding.

"You got it." The General shrugged, hands in his pockets. "These three are going to be infiltrating this terrorist lab anyway. I guess this will give you something to do while they're gone."

The three people in question whipped their heads away from the doctor and toward the General.

"What are you talking about?"

"Wait a second General."

"Are you serious she's-"

Jen stood abruptly and turned to leave the room waving away the protesting voices behind her. She needed a bathroom like _five minutes ago_.

SGASGASGA

"Jelly bean, we need to talk about this whole using my bladder as a dance floor thing." Jen muttered, shifting her hips from side to side, trying to pull her pants up as far as they would go, which was nowhere near all the way. She buttoned what she could, the waistline of her uniform pants riding extra low and her normal uniform tee shirt pulled down as far as it would go left a large swath of skin exposed between the two articles of clothing.

She made a face at herself in the mirror and blew her bangs off her forehead.

"Sexy, Keller." She grumbled, pulling on the oversized uniform jacket she'd taken to wearing and zipped it up partway, covering her exposed flesh.

She stepped out of the small bathroom into the corridor and turned to return to the conference room when she heard her name behind her.

"Sam!" Jen grinned, hugging the blonde Colonel when she got close enough.

"Hi Jennifer, how are you?" Sam beamed and rested her hands on her shoulders, giving her a once over. "Growing I see."

Jen nodded, "Oh yeah. Have you met the father? I don't stand a chance with this kid."

Sam smiled again and fingered the men's jacket that drowned the small doctor's frame.

"This is a look."

Jen shrugged. "Yeah well, it covers everything so I can't really complain."

Sam hooked her arm through Jennifer's, leading her down the hall. "So you're doing well? The baby too?"

Jen nodded, her hands falling to their new favorite spot, cradling her abdomen.

"Everything's been pretty typical so far. I'm finally over the morning sickness part and so I'm starving all the time. I live in the bathroom. My back aches and my feet are swollen…" She shrugged and laughed at her complaining. "But there's annoying stuff too."

Sam smiled and nodded at one of the marines who saluted as they passed them in the hall, despite the slightly startled looks they were giving the two women.

"I bet. Felling claustrophobic yet? I can't imagine Ronon lets you out of his sight very often."

Jen shook her head. "He doesn't. That's the upside of the frequent bathroom breaks. Some time to relish in solitude."

The women laughed again and Sam keyed in the code for her office.

"What are we doing here?"

Sam smiled shyly. "I um, got you something. When Jack said you were coming."

Jen's eyes landed on the small light yellow gift bag sitting in the middle of Carter's neat desk just inside the door.

"Oh Sam," Jen crooned, "you didn't have to do this."

The blonde shook her head self-consciously. "For you and the baby." She handed Jen the bag.

Inside there was a small white stuffed bunny, Jen pulled it out, tears gathering in her eyes and blurring her vision.

"Sam." She said, the word barely audible. She laughed slightly, brushing at her eyes and hugged the bunny to herself, then reached back into the bag. She was confused at first to see what looked like an Atlantis standard uniform set. But slowly as she pulled it out she noticed the extra panels of fabric, additional darts along the side and the elastic waistband.

Jen looked up and Sam was grinning.

"I have some female friends in high places in the military and we were talking one night about the lack of options for women in the service who might be pregnant." She gestured toward the outfit. "Consider this a prototype."

Jen pursed her lips, overwhelmed by emotion again. She and Sam had talked occasionally when she was on Atlantis, usually over too much wine and a week that made Hell look like a vacation. She knew that the colonel had once thought about having a family, even regretted, from time to time, not doing so. She hadn't realized until this very moment what a sacrifice it was that she had made for her career and her fellow humans. She hugged the clothes and the stuffed bunny to her and wrapped her arms around her friend.

"You're the best, Sam."

Sam ducked her head and reached to help Jen out of the unflattering Men's jacket. "Now lets get rid of this thing forever."

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Ronon watched Jennifer talking to a few of the doctors and nurses at the nurse's station. He rolled his shoulders, uncomfortable in the Earth clothes they made him wear when he was here, and dropped his hand to the hilt of his blaster out of nervous habit. General O'Neill and John always gave him a hard time about having it when he was on Earth but it was one concession he would never make.

He crossed his arms over the army green tee shirt and shifted again in the camouflage BDUs. They made movement easy at least and he kind of liked all the extra pockets. Beside him John was checking the clip on his P90. No one batted an eye at the heavily armed members of the team which included himself, Shepherd and Cadman and another team of marines John had introduced as SG-5. Apparently the IOA and the Military had commandeered this entire level of the downtown Los Angeles hospital and the doctors and nurses were used to their patients being under armed guard.

Jen approached, looking much more comfortable in her new altered uniform, Laura walked beside her, one hand resting on her weapon.

"Okay you three, stay out of trouble." Jen raised an eyebrow at each of them and John smiled and tilted his head.

"You say that as if we're always getting into trouble."

Jen scoffed and Laura bent down to whisper at her stomach.

"Auntie Laura is going to blow up some bad guys, okay Jelly Bean? Take care of your mom." She straightened and pulled Jen into a hug. "See you soon."

Jen nodded. "Come back in one piece."

With that she and John both turned and walked down the hall toward the other marines, leaving Jen and Ronon in relative privacy.

"Stay here. I don't care what weird Earth food you're craving or how fast you think you'll be back. Don't leave this floor," Ronon dipped his chin to capture her eyes, his hands resting on her waist. "We'll be out of radio contact for a while but General O'Neill will be able to reach us. The Daedalus won't be here for three more days so if anything-"

Jen leaned up onto her toes and captured his lips quickly, gathering his hands and pressing them first against her chest and then her stomach.

"I love you. Be safe. I'll be waiting." She whispered against his lips a moment later.

Ronon sighed. She was so much braver than him, better than him at all of this. It was always him lingering in the gate room when he had to go off world. Always him putting off getting out of bed as long as possible. She never complained, never made him feel guilty about leaving.

He pulled back to look into her eyes. She was smiling and he soaked up the strength he saw in her eyes. Bending quickly, he kissed her belly, her hand resting comfortingly against the back of his neck.

Then, still stalling, he stood up and kissed her lips again.

"Ronon," John's voice came from the end of the hall in a tone that said he was trying to be patient but was rapidly running out. He heard a muffled thump and Cadman saying something about 'romantic'.

Jen giggled. "You're being summoned."

Ronon grunted and Jen pulled her hands from his and jerked her chin toward the group waiting for him.

"Go. Go save the world. We'll be here when you get back."

Ronon turned and walked away telling himself she would be okay.

She was safe.

And her bad luck was definitely confined to the Pegasus galaxy.

SGASGASGA

Jen laid on one side on a bed in the on-call room behind the Nurse's station. It had been an incredibly long day, so long in fact she wasn't sure what day it actually was, and she was sure she couldn't stay awake much longer. She'd intended to finish her physical examination of the victim of the explosion but after the third time she'd jerked her head up from dozing over him she'd smiled apologetically at him and patted his forearm, excusing herself. The young man, mid-twenties with dark hair and brown skin had not stirred, still unconscious and bandaged with a feeding tube pulling at the corners of his slack mouth.

The sound of a shriek and then a few loud thuds jerked Jen out of near slumber and her eyes popped wide open. She sat up, her hands encircling her stomach as her heart pounded and she strained to hear in the sudden silence. That hadn't been in her head, had it?

The sudden tell tale _pop bang_ of gunfire confirmed she hadn't imagined the sound and she gasped, jumped to her feet and stared at the door. She took a step toward it, but stopped. Her stomach fluttered, the little Jelly Bean reacting to their mother's sudden tension.

Sharp voices as well as muffled moans and crying sounded on the other side of the door. Jen bit her lip. People were hurt. She needed to help them. She had a responsibility to help them.

She looked down at her protruding belly and exhaled. Her hands were rubbing soothing circles there that she hadn't even noticed.

The sharp voices came through the door again, closer so that she could make out the words.

"Check all the rooms. Now!"

Jen swallowed hard, eyes wide as she backed away from the door, heavy footsteps thudded back and forth outside. There was a group of them, so many footsteps she couldn't tell if they were getting closer or further away. She looked up and cursed.

She should have turned out the light. But she didn't like sleeping in the pitch dark, especially when Ronon wasn't there.

_Ronon_. Her hands tightened over her stomach when his face popped into her mind. He'd been gone for over four hours now. It would probably be at least two more before they got back.

And that was _if_ things went according to plan on their op. Which, if her own situation was anything to go by, was highly unlikely.

Footsteps approached and this time she knew they were coming toward the door. She stepped back further, wedging herself between the filing cabinet and the bunk bed. It didn't provide any cover, she still stood opposite the door, but there was nowhere else to go.

"Anything in this room?" A gruff voice said outside and Jen watched shadows move back and forth in the space under the door. Feet that belonged to the voice. The doorknob rattled and Jen held her breath, thanking her lucky stars that she'd decided to lock it.

"N-no. Just storage." Another set of shadows and a voice that was strangled with fear.

"Open it." The gruff voice spat.

"I-I can't I don't-"

The sound of a gunshot made Jen jump and squeak and her elbow bumped a coffee cup someone had left on top of the filing cabinet. It fell to the floor with a spectacular crash.

"I thought you said there was nothing in there?!"

Jen's breath came in ragged gasps as the doorknob rattled again, the frightened voice stuttered and tried to make excuses on the other side of the door.

All at once Jen realized what an idiot she was being just standing there, waiting for the door to whip open and be confronted by the angry voices and guns on the other side. She looked around frantically for anything she could use as a weapon or a shield. Her eyes landed on a razor blade in one of those cheap plastic holders laying on an unopened package of office supplies beside her. She reached for it but the door flew open before she could grab it. She gasped and raised her hands when she saw a big gun pointed straight at her.

The man who held the gun dropped the barrel slightly and tilted his head at her. His close cropped hair and goatee were dark, a stark contrast to his pale skin. In one hand he held an AR-15, in the other he had one of the doctor's Keller had spoken with earlier by the lapels of his lab coat. The man was about Jen's age, thin and trembling, his wire rim glasses askew and the keys to the on call room jangled in his trembling hands.

"What the hell?" The man with the gun said, clearly not expecting a lone pregnant woman to be on the other side of the door. As quickly as it appeared his surprise was gone and he tossed the thin doctor aside and reached forward, grabbing Jen by the arm and yanking her out of the room after him.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Jen was seated cross legged on the floor in front of the nurse station, her hands zip tied in front of her.

On the floor beside her the handful of doctors and nurses who'd been working on the floor were lying face down, hands clasped behind the backs of their heads and zip tied together.

Thankfully the terrorists had realized that in her present state she couldn't very well assume that position so instead they had bound her and ordered her to sit beside them. Which she's complied with, though with some difficulty when it came to sitting on the floor.

Her wrists screamed in protest when she tried futilely to pull apart the bindings and her stomach started fluttering again.

_Calm down little Jelly Bean, she thought, Dont worry, momma's totally got this._

She wondered if a fetus could sense bravado.

Jennifer stilled her movements when she heard the sound of static in her ear and her eyes flickered nervously up to the man standing a few feet away guarding the hostages. He was leaning against the wall, holding his weapon too casually, it rested across his forearm which was covered by a large scary spider tattoo. She bent her head further, hiding the radio on her ear behind her hair.

She couldn't believe it handn't been spotted, but she'd been so tired when she went to lay down she'd completely forgotten about it. Then the goon, in his haste to grab her and drag her out of the on-call room, had neglected to give her an adequate once over. It was dangling now, hooked precariously in her ear but keeping the microphone largely hidden in her hair.

_"...ennifer...read...outs...r'spond...you..."_

The message was garbled in static and Jen could barely breathe, wondering if it was just hope that made her so sure she was hearing John's voice.

Whoever it was, they wanted her to respond.

_Well, that isn't going to happen,_ Jen thought wryly.

She was puzzled (read: petrified) over why the gang of mentally unstable mercenaries handn't killed herself or any of the doctors yet. From her vantage point in the middle of the hall she could see the few marines she'd seen earlier had been incapacitated already, but she and her colleagues were just being held.

She wondered what they could want? Why would they want to blow people up? But she'd soon found out.

That was where the mentally unstable part came in.

Ten years of government cover ups, IOA backpedaling, classified files, the Ori, The G'ould, the Wraith...it was starting to pile up. There had always been conspiracy theorists. But in the modern age the internet made it easy for them to talk to each other, and black markets made it easy for them to arm themselves.

This group had organized and decided to start brainstorming ways to get the government to admit what they thought they knew was going on, and then force them to cease and desist.

_Damn trigger happy xenophobes. _Jen thought, squirming to relieve some of the pressure on her hips.

The trio of men at the end of the hall started toward her.

"You!" Jen stiffened but the leader, a short man in his forties dressed in quasi military gear who she thought she'd heard being called Viktor, appeared to be talking to the group of doctors as a whole.

"Which if you is working with the man in this room?" He gestured a hand gun toward the room Jen has been in. The one with the explosive victim.

All the doctors kept their faced pressed into the floor, so he looked at Jen.

"Do you know who was treating him?"

She swallowed.

"Yes...it...it was me."

At that moment the building shuddered and the radio in Jen's ear went crazy. She fought to keep her expression unchanged as voices shot back and forth, orders barked and acknowledged.

Viktor looked behind himself at two other, taller men who were armed with large, ugly guns. He angled his head and they ran to cover the elevator and the stairwell.

He returned his cold gaze to Jennifer.

"Has he spoken?"

She swallowed and shook her head.

"No. He's unconscious."

_"Doc?"_

_"Jennifer can you hear me?"_

Jen's stomach did a flip flop and this time she didn't try to calm it.

_That's right Jelly Bean, thats Daddy. He's coming. Daddy and Uncle John and Auntie Laura are almost here. We just gotta hold on a little while longer._

"Bring her." Viktor glowered at her and did an about face, entering the injured man's room.

The man with the spider tattoo leaned over and hooked a hand under Jen's armpit, hauling her to her feet. She stumbled at the sudden change but held her footing, even when he shoved her toward the patient's room.

"I'm going to ask you one more time, what has he told you?"

Jen frowned and stepped forward, shaking her head.

"What are you talking about? Look at him! He can't even breathe in his own."

_"How many are there, Jen? Where are they? Can you give us anything?"_

The leader stared down at the boy in the bed and lifted his hand to rest on his face. The gentleness in his touch belied the violence she'd witnessed so far and it made Jen uneasy.

"It was an accident you know," he said, quietly, he sounded dejected, but Jen had a sneaking suspicion that man was just a sociopath playing at emotions he thought he should feel. "He was one of our most enthusiastic supporters. Poor boy was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"What...what do you guys want?" Jen swallowed, trying to quell the tremble in her voice, "There's only, what, 10 of you? You must know you don't stand a chance against the world of hurt that's coming."

_"Everybody copy that? We got 10 targets in there."_

Jen took a breath, gathering her bravery. She needed to give them more.

"Look, this floor is mostly empty. Just me, the other four staff and your friend here. Let us go and the military might go easy on you."

In her ear familiar and unfamiliar voices tumbled over one another, processing what she'd said.

_"Good girl."_ She heard Ronon rumble and it filled her with warmth. The good feeling immediately dissipated though when Viktor's eyes slid toward her, followed by his head and then his body. He tilted his head, narrowing his eyes at her.

Jennifer swallowed, shifting on her feet.

He walked around the bed and his slow, methodical steps reminded her of a jungle cat stalking its prey. His eyes stayed focused, he didn't even blink. Jen's heartbeat was slamming against her ribcage when she heard the soft 'click' of him cocking his handgun.

He lifted the gun and fired a single shot directly at the boy in the bed, his eye never leaving hers.

Jen shrieked and pressed her hands to her mouth as the voices erupted in her ear again.

_"What the hell was that?"_

_"Jennifer are you okay?"_

_"Was that a gunshot?!"_

_"Move move move!"_

Jen ran to the boy in the bed, pressing her hands against the bleeding would in his chest as best she could.

"What are you doing?" She screamed, "Why did you shoot him? I told you he didn't say anything!" Her hands trembled as the blood oozed beteween her useless hands, still bound with the zip tie. Her stomach was fluttering non-stop now and her eyes skipped frantically across the boy's body and then up to the heart monitor he was hooked up to. She watched in horror as the spikes slowed and became smaller before finally flatlining with one long beep.

She was shaking as she straightened back up, staring down at the body with wide eyes.

"You didn't have to kill him." She whispered finally.

"We can't trust the government to protect us from aliens bent on conquering our world." Viktor said, his voice impassive. "Why would you think I would trust you?"

Slowly, Jen reached over and shut off the beeping heart monitor. She turned around to face him, only to take a startled step backward when she realized he was now pointing his gun at her.

"Now," he sneered, "why don't you pass me that radio in your ear so I can welcome your little friends to our party in person?"

Jen's breath caught in her throat, her mouth suddenly to dry to even swallow.

In her head, the voices had also gone quiet. She was sure that meant whatever was about to happen, was going to be happening very soon.

She hoped they were not too late.

With shaking hands, Jen reached up and unhooked the radio from her ear. The man kept his gun trained on her with his right hand and held out his left for the radio.

At the same moment that her shuddering fingers placed the device in his palm, automatic gunfire began out in the hall and Viktor's stubby fingers locked around her wrist in a vice grip. He yanked her toward him and spun her around, plastering her back against his front with his forearm pressed across her neck, he pushed her forward toward the door.

Jen strained her ears but she couldn't distinguish one type of gunfire from another. Viktor's forearm pressed across her neck was steady and strong. While he leaned over to peak into the hall she brought her bound hands up and grasped it as if she were going to do a pull up, but it didn't budge when she tried to pull on it and she got the barrel of a 9mil pressed into her skull for her trouble.

"Be still." He hissed.

Jen swallowed and stopped squirming. Suddenly her ears perked to the high pitched whine and thump of an energy weapon discharging and her knees sagged with relief.

_Daddy's here, Jelly Bean. It's almost over._ She thought, slightly annoyed that her voice sounded panicked even inside her own head.

"Stand up." The man ordered, he tightened his hold on her neck, fully cutting off her air supply and she clawed at his arm again.

"I can't," she gasped out, trying to get him to loosen his grip as white dots started to float in her vision. The gunfire paused in the hallway, though shouts and curses of fighting could still be heard, and Viktor peeked around the corner again.

Then, readjusting his grip, he pushed out into the hall. Jen stumbled with him, half walking, half being pulled along the wall away from the elevator.

Jen's eyes widened as she took in the devastation around her. The doctors were cowering in a corner behind the nurse's station now, some were crying and one was unconscious, though she couldn't see any injuries. Around the hallway bodies littered the floor, some of the mercenaries were moaning, holding injuries and bleeding, others didn't move at all. Jen's eyes skipped from one form to another, looking for faces, bodies she recognized, but didn't see any.

An energy weapon charged behind her and Jennifer felt herself being whipped around again, this time she came face to face with Ronon's blaster. Over his shoulder she saw John, Cadman and two other marines engaged in in hand to hand with terrorists at the end of the corridor.

"Let her go." Ronon snarled, his voice low and angrier than she'd ever heard it, his aim steady.

Viktor kept Jen pulled close and since he wasn't very tall, he used her quite effectively as a shield.

Jen fought to keep her face neutral and bit her lip to keep it from quivering. She trusted him to make the shot, if there was a shot, but she had to help him. That meant she couldn't distract him by crying and calling out for him the way she desperately wanted to.

Viktor pulled Jen back a couple steps, trying to make his way to the emergency exit at the end of the hall and Jen watched Ronon take two steps forward, keeping their distance static.

"I said let her go." Ronon growled again, his voice a little bit more urgent this time. He kept his breathing even, his gaze didn't waver and his gun didn't shake.

Ronon swallowed. Inhaled, blinked. He forced himself to stay focused with instincts and habits he'd honed and perfected during the seven years when he'd needed them most. He'd needed control where there was only helplessness. Had to find calm where there was overwhelming fear. Had to stay steady when pain and fear threatened to consume him.

Ronon the lover, the father, would have seen the terror in her eyes, the blood caking on her hands and his knees would have buckled. He would have been of no use to her.

Ronon the Runner was strong and calm. And he would take back what was his.

His chin tilted imperceptibly when he noticed Jen's hands moving with agonizing slowness. He narrowed is eyes, what was she doing? His ears perked to the strange sound she was making and he realized the man's arm was pressing so hard against her throat she couldn't breathe. He swallowed again, inhaled, exhaled, beating down the panic and bile that was churning in his stomach and chest and throat. He readjusted his grip on his weapon.

"I'm not going to tell you again."

As slowly as she could, Jen shifted her arms to the right where Viktor's hand held the gun against her head. Then, knowing Ronon would take his opportunity, she took as deep a breath as she could manage and jammed her hands upward. She pushed the barrel of the gun up and turned her head at the same moment as she let her weight pull her down.

From behind her tightly shut eyes she heard a gunshot and felt heat and air rush past her ear. She heard Ronon's yell, Victor's curse, Ronon's blaster firing two quick shots. It sounded further away than it should have. Pain exploded into her knees as she slammed into the ground and her bound hands folded awkwardly and painfully beneath her. She tensed, even as the pain slid to the back of her mind, preparing to feel cold tile floor against her face.

Ronon dove toward Jennifer before Viktor's limp body even finished crumpling to the floor. He slid to his knees, one arm wrapped around her waist and he twisted, beneath her before her head could hit the ground.

"Jen! Jennifer! Jen can you hear me?" Ronon's voice broke as he pulled her across his lap, legs still folded underneath him. The fear and dread he'd stamped down in order to save her was bursting forth, vibrating through his very being. Green eyes went wide scanning her for injuries as The Runner was shoved aside, leaving only the Man.

He cursed his traitorous hands as they shook violently and made it difficult for him to maneuver her body in such a way that he could see her face. She hadn't gotten all the way out of the line of fire with her little trick and he'd seen red streak across her ear and temple just before she fell. Now blood was slick and warm under his fingers and he couldn't see for sure what happened. He didn't know. Jennifer wasn't moving. She wasn't asnwering his calls. He couldn't hear over the rushing of his blood in his ears, in his head, but he was sure her name was still falling from his lips.

Was it just a graze?

Let it be just a graze.

_Ancestors please…I'll do anything…anything. Pleasepleaseplease._

Ronon didn't hear John over his shoulder disarming the dead man and asking him if Jen was okay. Didn't notice Laura on her knees beside him, one hand frozen in the air halfway to Jen's arm, the other balled up tightly over her chest.

"Jen! Jen talk to me," he called to her, trembling hands smoothing her hair back from her head and he examined the wound. There was so_ much blood_. He rocked back and forth on his knees willing her to answer. "Please Jen please."

Suddenly Ronon felt Jen stir and her eyes blinked open and he stilled, holding his breath.

"Ronon?" Jen smiled tiredly up at him.

_Releifgratitudejoy_ slammed into him and knocked the breath back out of him again. He exhaled a sound between a cry and a laugh and shut his eyes. His head bowed forward into her hair, pulling her closer. If he could have folded her up inside himself at that moment he would have. He gasped another breath, wrapping himself in the smell of her skin and shampoo.

Thought failed him. Words failed him. Had he been standing, his legs would have failed him too.

Jen pulled her still bound hands from between them and wrapped them around his neck. The relieved sound of his ragged breathing was the closest she'd ever heard him be to crying and she pulled his head toward her more as he sighed in her ear, _I love you I love you I love you_ falling from his lips like a prayer.

Behind Ronon Jen caught movement as Cadman leapt to her feet and slammed into John, pressing her face into his neck as her shoulders shook, sobbing. John's face was serious, his eyes met hers. She read relief and exhaustion there as he let his arms wrap around the lieutenant, one hand pressed up into her hair, the other against her back as he held her close.

Jen let her eyes fall shut again, feeling Ronon's body coming back under his control.

_See Jelly Bean? I told you they would come._

_TBC_


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Have any of you seen the 'horse scene' from George of the Jungle with Brendan Frasier? That was the inspo for this scene. lol. Just sayin'**

Jen sighed and closed her eyes with a smile, pushing herself gently on the back porch swing.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this relaxed.

She loved the ocean, she loved the stars in Pegasus. She loved the city.

But this. The warm summer wind in the trees, the smell of hay and the sound of horses whinnying to each other in the yard...there would always be a part of her that ached for this.

"Wakey wakey," Cadman's smile could be heard in her voice as she crossed the back porch to her friend, ice clinked in the glasses of ice tea she carried in each hand.

"Mmm," Jen hummed her delight as she took her glass and sipped it, scooting over so Laura could sit down beside her on the back porch swing. "That hits the spot."

Cadman crossed her legs, dressed in short shorts and a cropped tee that she delighted to know had made the Colonel flush when he saw her, she looked relaxed and at home. Beside her Jen had traded her new maternity uniform for a light summer dress and rested her drink on her abdomen. If not for the bandage across the side of her head (which hadn't been easy to explain away to her father) you almost couldn't tell the hell she and, by extension the rest of them, had been through just 24 hours earlier.

After they finished dinner Jennifer's dad had gone to take a post dinner nap and the rest of them decided to go outside and enjoy the summer evening.

"Whatcha thinkin 'bout kid?" Laura asked, sipping her drink.

Jen smiled. "Nothing. I love it here, that's all."

Laura nodded, she was partial to the Keller Ranch herself. Since they had two more days until the Deadalus returned, they had time to kill and Jen wanted to introduce Ronon to her father. Since if they stayed on the SGC O'Neill and Landry would have found them work to do, John and Cadman had asked to tag along.

The hundred year old farm house was creaky in all the right ways and the expansive west facing back porch had a massive view of rolling hills and a fenced in pasture that held three horses. On evenings like this one when the sun descended on the horizon, the whole world seemed bathed in warm golden light.

Jen waved and Laura followed her gaze to the paddock where John and Ronon had appeared. They'd been walking around the property "exploring", which Jen knew was code for "securing".

John climbed up and sat himself on the top of the tall wooden fence and Ronon stepped up onto the bottom rung beside him as they looked out over the horses.

They were talking, too far away for the girls to hear them, but the gentle summer breeze wafted the sound of Ronon's rumbling baritone and John's responding laugh over to them.

Jennifer wrinkled her head forehead and sipped her tea. "What are they doing?"

Laura shrugged. "Something ill-advised I'm sure." She paused, watching as Ronon climbed up and over the fence, moving the white cowboy hat Jen had put on him over to Shepherd's head as he passed. "Ohh, now there's a look I can get behind. I always had a thing for cowboys."

Jen looked at her friend who was wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"You're all talk." Jen shook her head dismissively.

"I take offense at that."

"Oh you do, do you?"

"Yes I do. And I think the Colonel would disagree too…what with him kissing me and all."

Jen's head snapped over and she watched Cadman smile around her straw, trapping the plastic between her teeth.

"You didn't! Where?"

"Ah ah ah, a lady doesn't kiss and tell," Cadman teased.

"Oh please, and since when are you a lady?"

Laura pretended to look hurt, then she bent forward, directing her comment to Jen's stomach.

"You hear that Jelly Bean? You hear how your momma treats me?"

Jen slapped her on the shoulder. "No corrupting the child before it's even out of the womb. Now spill."

Laura sighed, sitting up with a smile. "It was after the debriefings. I was still kind of...you know, a mess after the whole emotional roller coaster of thinking you were dead and he just…" Laura smiled and shook her head, a far off look in her eyes. "He was just there. I was hiding in the bathroom and blubbering all over myself and he just showed up. He hugged me…told me everything was going to be alright and…next thing you know we were making out on the bathroom counter."

"Laura Cadman!" Jen exclaimed, slapping a hand over her mouth as they both dissolved in giggles. Jen shook her head when she calmed down. "I'm happy for you Laura. For both of you."

Laura smiled genuinely and reached over to capture her friends hand.

"So what about you," she sat back and returned her gaze to the men and the horses. "How are things going with you two? Freaking out about being parents?"

Jen smiled softly and looked out over the yard. John still was seated on the fence, the cowboy hat Ronon had given him pushed far back on his head like it belonged there, shouting and laughing at Ronon's antics.

In the paddock, Ronon had his dreads down, his white dress shirt was unbuttoned most of the way, billowing in the wind as he ran back and forth with the three mares. The horses nickered and snorted as they chased him around. They pawed the dirt and Ronon would laugh, pretending to turn one way only to stop suddenly and shoot off in the other direction. The horses bounded after him and bounced on their hooves, hopping around him like giant puppies. After a few minutes he stopped to pet them, leaning into the warmth of their necks and he closed his eyes when they nuzzled him with their long snouts.

"Not today," she said finally. "Today, we're doing pretty darn good." She turned a wry smile to Cadman. "We can freak out tomorrow."

Laura raised her glass. "I'll drink to that."

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

_3rd Trimester (28 weeks - Delivery)_

Jen flopped down at the lunch table in a display that was neither feminine nor particularly graceful. She definitely was approaching the 'you can move out any time now' part of her pregnancy.

Across from her John looked amused but turned his gaze to his tray quickly when she raised an eyebrow at his expression.

"Something funny Colonel?" She challenged.

"Nope." John shook his head, focused entirely in covering his piece of dry white meat in ketchup.

"I could have sworn you looked like you were about to say something."

Again, John shook his head.

"Don't mind her, she's in a mood." Ronon appeared behind Jennifer, sliding a tray of food in front of her and taking a seat in the empty chair next to hers.

"Yeah well I was promised a foot rub this morning." Jen grumbled, eyeing her food suspiciously. She wondered how she could be so hungry and feel so full at the same time.

"I did rub your feet." Ronon said around a forkful of potatoes. He glanced up at Rodney who had followed them to the table and was pulling up a chair, but now looked like he was regretting his choice of eating companions.

"Well not for very long." Jen reached for the crackers and water bottle.

Ronon raised his eyebrows at the scientist still hovering at the end of the table. "You gonna sit?"

"Depends, are you going to continue to discuss feet?"

John grunted. "At least the food doesn't smell like feet."

Rodney blanched, remembering the "meal" they'd been fed at the home of the ally they'd visited the day before. Although Rodney seriously wondered if they could still be considered an ally after putting the team through the torture of that so-called food.

With a sigh, he dropped into the chair and dug into his double portion of bland but olfactorily pleasing meat.

John gestured toward Ronon with his fork. "We still on for sparring later?"

Ronon's eyes slid quickly toward Jennifer, who was glaring down at her stomach where she'd dropped some potatoes onto her uniform, and then back to him.

"I'll let you know."

"Let him know what?" Laura dropped into he chair between Jennifer and John, immediately leaning down to place her hands on either side of Keller's stomach. "Good morning Jelly Bean."

She looked up and found Jen glowering at her over her water bottle.

"What?" Laura looked first at Ronon, who was still chewing, then John.

The pilot shrugged. "She's in a…" he paused. Was that a growl he just heard emanating from the CMO? "…delicate state." He continued carefully. "And carrying it beautifully by the way. Really. You're um…glowing."

The corner of Jen's mouth quirked slightly at his obvious discomfort and Laura laughed.

"Should I be jealous?"

John smirked and caught her gaze, he winked quickly. Laura's stomach did a flip flop and she resisted the urge to jump into his lap. She wasn't sure what John was thinking, but judging by the way his eyes darkened and he quickly went back to his food she didn't think his thoughts were too far from hers.

They'd started seeing each other weeks ago but were both trying to keep things under the radar for a while for obvious reasons. It was harder and harder by the day.

"No." Ronon said, catching Jen's wrist as it slid around his tray, fingers curling toward Rodney's cup of coffee.

Jen pouted, sitting back. "I was just going to smell it."

"You know better." Ronon raised an eyebrow and Jennifer rolled her eyes.

"What are you so upset about? It's my coffee she almost absconded with." Rodney picked up the mug and held it possessively to his chest.

"I don't know how you can drink that stuff so late in the day, Rodney." John wrinkled his nose at the scientist.

"He doesn't sleep." Laura quipped.

"I do too."

"Hey Rodney are you still going to be able to look at my laptop today?" Jen's eyes were locked on the roll on Ronon's plate. With a tolerant smile he nudged it over to her tray.

"Yes yes, I'll put it at the bottom of my list of very important things to do today." Rodney waved away the request. Silence descended and after a moment he looked up to see all four pairs of eyes staring at him.

"What?"

"We just got her into a good mood Rodney." John said, his voice suspiciously close to whining.

"What do you mean?" He looked over and, sure enough, Jen was pinning him with an icy glare. "I mean, um…I'll get right to it."

Laura snorted, stabbing her fork into the carrot-like vegetables on her plate. "Way to stick to your guns, McKay."

"Rodney has guns?"

They all looked up and saw Teyla approaching with Torren balanced on one hip. The happy near one-year-old extended chubby arms toward Ronon, babbling nonsensically and drooling. Teyla smiled and shifted him into Ronon's arms when he stood up and reached across the table toward her.

Rodney groaned when a drip of saliva narrowly missed his plate. "Hey! Watch that thing, will you?"

Teyla smacked him on the shoulder. "Torren is not a thing."

Rodney grimaced, swiping one of Ronon's unused napkins to wipe at the mess.

"Are you always this good with kids Rodney?" Laura sat back from the table, crossing her legs so her foot brushed subtly against the Colonel's calf.

John sent her a sideways glance. "Oh yeah," he said, talking mostly to give himself something to think about besides the Lieutenant's close proximity and the pleasant peachy smell of her hair that kept wafting over him. "You should have seen him the first time we went to MXG-677."

Teyla smiled. "Yes, all Rodney could think to do to keep the children happy was give them as much chocolate as he carried."

Jen snorted. "Remind me never to let you babysit."

"Not going to be a problem." Ronon responded, his eyes never leaving Torren's face as he held the child around the waist and bounced him up and down on round, unsteady legs.

Jen tuned out Rodney's protests that he would make an excellent babysitter, if he wanted to, since it wasn't so different from managing a dozen scientists who rarely knew what they were doing. Instead she breathed through something warm and deep swirling in her chest at the sight of the Ronon and Torren together. Ronon's long lean muscles worked to easily lift the child reapeatedly while the baby squealed in delight. He had such control the deadly force she knew he possessed seemed far off, he looked as if he would never, could never, hurt anything in the galaxy as he cradled the child to him.

It wouldn't be much longer now and it would be their child he was bouncing and cooing at and the thought made her smile to herself. Ronon would have taken issue with the term 'coo', but Jen didn't think there was another word that adequately described the high pitched, quiet sounds he was making as he played with the boy, smiling in a soft way she hadn't often seen.

She felt Laura's hand on hers and looked over. Her best friend was giving her a warm look and Jen flushed, realizing her hands had automatically encircled her belly again.

"You guys know what you're having yet?" John asked, shifting his gaze from Ronon to Jen.

The soon-to-be parent's eyes met quickly and Jen shook her head.

"I want to." Ronon said.

"But we're not yet." Jen raised her eyebrow at him, "we agreed."

"Why not?" John laid his hand down casually on top of the table, the side of his arm brushing against Cadman's. Without looking at him, she entwined their pinkies.

"It's a tradition in my family." Jen raised an lowered one shoulder.

John nodded. "Any other traditions?"

"Yep." Ronon answered, his eyes back on Torren. The baby resumed babbling and leaned forward, grabbing a thick dreadlock in each hand and tugged hard enough that Rodney winced in sympathy.

"Care to share?" He asked.

"Nope."

Teyla reached for Torren, saying she needed to pack him a bag before heading off to New Athos that afternoon. The baby started to fuss as Ronon passed him to his mother and Rodney preemptively leaned over his tray to protect it from possible drool bombing.

"I told you where I traded for Torren's furniture and other items, did I not?"

Ronon glanced at Shepherd who nodded back at him.

"Headed there tomorrow."

SGASGASGA

Jen reached down to readjust the pillow between her knees and scrunched her face in a frown. She'd gotten up to go to the bathroom for the third time that night over half an hour ago. Now she wasn't able to get comfortable enough to get back to sleep. She felt the bed move and stilled, hoping she hadn't woken Ronon with her constant fidgeting.

He wasn't following her to the bathroom anymore at night, but he still woke up almost as often as she did. He seemed to see it as his personal duty to make sure she was comfortable at all times, but it wasn't always possible. Pregnancy was just uncomfortable sometimes, and she thought it was harder on him than her when he was unsuccessful.

She heard Ronon's breathing change and she furrowed her brows. Opening her eyes she turned to look over her shoulder to his side of the bed.

"Ronon?"

He was sitting up on the edge of the bed with his elbows on his knees and face in his hands, his dreads hung loose around his bare shoulders.

Jennifer sat up, turning and reaching toward him. His skin glowed with a sheen of sweat and his muscles were so tense that he jerked slightly when she touched him.

It as a nightmare then.

Ronon having nightmares was not uncommon. Jennifer supposed everyone who'd watched their people culled or destroyed by the Wraith suffered from some level of PTSD and Ronon probably had more reason for nightmares than most. When they'd first began sharing a bed she had woken more than once to find him on the floor with a blanket, so afraid of what he would do to her if he awoke confused and overcome with images he couldn't escape that he didn't trust himself to sleep beside her.

He didn't do that anymore, but that didn't mean the images he saw were any less vivid and disturbing than they used to be.

"What was it?" She whispered.

After a few moment he took a deep breath he straightened, leaning back into her touch. He stared out the window where he could see the light of a full moon through a gentle drizzle that pelted the windows.

He didn't have the urge to lie. He hadn't lied to her about this part of him in a long time. He'd found it was easier to forget when she helped shoulder the burden. Even if he did usually heavily edit the versions of his dreams that he shared.

"Rikai." His voice was hoarse and he felt her hand pause in its soothing motion. "When..when I had to...I killed him. He...I should have…" He shook his head slightly and Jen slid her hand up to his shoulder, squeezing.

She bit her lip. She remembered when he came back from that Wraith lab. The intense joy that had bouyed him for days after reconnecting with his friends had led to a spectaculary devestating crash when he found out about their betrayal. It was before they were together, but not before she'd started to realize how important Ronon was becoming to her. He'd been bleeding from his face and mouth that day, eyes shadowed and dark, hurting in ways she couldn't comprehend and couldn't heal. She'd felt guilty for weeks because despite his pain she couldn't stop being glad because he wasn't leaving.

"Come here." She said finally. Slowly, he relented to her pull on his shoulder and laid back down, turning to his side to face her. She laid one hand against his cheek, watching his face as his eyes trailed over her, coming to rest on her stomach where his thumb was rubbing circles on her skin.

She felt Jelly Bean moving and she guided his hand over the spot. A moment later Ronon gasped and pulled his hand back. He glanced at her and she grinned at him.

"Go ahead." She replaced his hand and he jerked slightly again when the baby kicked him for a second time.

Ronon sat up on his elbows, trying to get a closer look. Jennifer watched wonder and surprise chase the shadows away from his eyes. The baby kicked again and this time he laughed.

"Hello little one," his voice was soft and quiet. He moved to sit cross-legged beside her, placing his hands on either side of her stomach. He tilted his head, waiting for it to happen again.

"Try talking to them." Jennifer suggested, her voice just above a whisper.

"I..." he shook his head. "I wouldn't know what to say."

"Say anything. Talk about your day. Tell them about Sateda. Anything."

Ronon frowned, but slowly words started forming and he leaned forward, speaking almost too quietly to be heard. Jen laid back down and closed her eyes, she laughed when his beard tickled her skin. His hands stayed on her belly and occasionally the baby would kick again and it always made his words stutter in surprise before he picked up and kept going.

He told jokes. He explained battle strategy. He talked about Shepherd and Teyla. He talked about Weir. He asked the baby questions, even pausing as if the child would answer. At some point he switched from English to Satedan and the husky, melodic sounds of his mother tongue sent shivers down her spine.

Jen smiled, gently drifting off to sleep to the sound of his voice.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Carson narrowed his eyes, watching the CMO from the other side of the infirmary. She straightened from her bent position listening to Captain Sanchez' chest and rubbed her back while she scolded the young man over something.

Carson smiled down at Evan Lorne. "Alright lad, you're all set."

Lorne flexed his arm and pulled the sleeve on his shirt down over the bandages Carson had applied.

"Thanks Doc."

Carson didn't respond so the Major turned on the bed to look over his shoulder, following the good doctor's gaze to where Jennifer was treating Sanchez for that cough he'd been ignoring for a week and a half.

"Is she okay?"

"Aye." The doctor said in a tone that said he was not entirely pleased with whatever it was he saw.

"She should probably sit down or something." Lorne said, noticing how tired Jennifer looked and the way she kept stretching her back and neck.

"Aye." Carson said again. Then he inhaled and blinked. "Excuse me Major."

Carson crossed the infirmary to where Jennifer had left Sanchez and was now approaching the storage locker where they kept the Level 2 medications. She opened the cabinet to retrieve a bottle of antibiotics and turned around and gasped when she almost ran into Carson.

"I'll take that." He said, taking the bottle from her.

"Carson," Jen complained, but without much vigor.

"You've been on your feet all day, I think it's time you had a break."

Jennifer braced her hands against her lower back. "I'm fine. I'm pregnant, not an invalid. I'm perfectly capable of continuing to do my job." Jen bristled, but didn't pull away when Carson put a comforting hand on her arm.

"Aye, lass I didn't say you couldn't. But you've got two jobs right now." He raised his eyebrows. "One is to be a doctor, thats true. But the other is to grow a healthy wee baby."

"I can do both."

"I know you can, Jennifer. But are you doing justice to them both?" Carson dipped his chin and carefully kept his tone calm but firm.

Jennifer sighed and dropped her shoulders, releasing some of the tension she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"You're right," she said quietly, then shook her head. "I just don't..." She exhaled deeply and looked at the Scot. Met with the open, careful gaze of her mentor, she bit her lip.

"What is it?"

"I want to be able to do this." She started, haltingly. "I want to be able to do both. I'm a doctor. It's who I am. It's what I'm good at. But what if…what if…"

Carson smiled and put both hands on her shoulders.

"Jennifer. You are a wonderful doctor. You're smart as a whip and pretty to boot." He grinned when she flushed. "But I'm sorry lass, it's not who you are. You are so much more than that. You're a teacher, a friend. A lovely daughter and…well I'm not sure if you're a wife yet but…" he laughed a little and Jennifer smiled in response, looking to the floor. He sighed, she was still tense, but his words seemed to have hit close to home.

"Most importantly Jennifer," he caught her gaze again, "you are going to be a terrific mother."

Jen smiled and covered his hand with her own.

"Thanks Carson." She appreciated the words. Needed to hear them. But she still had her doubts. Could she really do both? More importantly, did Ronon think she could? Did he want her to? If he didn't, what would she do? She hadn't thought to ask what it was like on Sateda. What if there was some sort of expectation for her to give up everything to focus on being a mother. It was common on Earth, was it less common in Pegasus?

Unaware of her worried musings, Carson smiled at her.

"You're welcome lass. Look, I haven't had lunch yet, have you?" Jen shook her head and Carson looked at the antibiotics in his hand. "I'll give this to Captain Sanchez and we can go get a little something to eat, okay?"

Jen nodded but put her hands out to stop him before he could step away.

"But _I_ will give this to Sanchez."

Carson started to protest but finally gave in, handing over the pills.

Jen brushed past him and started toward her patient still sitting on the bed near the far wall.

"Alright Sanchez I want you to-" Jen started across the infirmary but cut herself off, a frown forming on her face and she tilted her head.

Carson watched her steps slow and then stop and started toward her.

"Jennifer?"

She hissed and bent forward, one hand reaching out to grab the empty bed next to her, the other dropped the antibiotics and went to her side.

"Jennifer!" Carson was at her side in an instant, followed by Sanchez and Lorne.

"Doc?"

Jen waved off their questions, breathing through the sudden wave of pain that had overwhelmed her.

"I-I'm fine." She shook her head. "That was uncomfortable."

She looked up and attempted to smile at the three worried male gazes around her.

"I'm fine." She repeated.

"You're sure?" Lorne asked, his hands slowly returning to his side. Beside him Carson was still giving her a wary look, not sure if he believed her.

Jen nodded. "Yes." She looked around and spotted the pill bottle on the floor. Before she could try to bend over for them Sanchez scooped them up.

"I got 'em Doc."

"Okay," Jen nodded, still trying to catch her breath. "So take one with every meal and remember to-" She cut herself off again with a pained wince and staggered a little on her feet.

"Right, lads help me get her into this bed." Carson ordered.

"Carson," Jen tried to protest, but was cut off quickly.

"None of that from you, young lady. You'll let me have a look at you and that's the end of it."

He directed Sanchez and Lorne as they helped Jennifer onto the bed.

"Doc you want me to get Ronon?"

"No!" Jen said immediately, then hissed as she rode out another wave of pain. "It's probably nothing. No need to worry him."

Lorne didn't look so sure but nodded and he and Sanchez left when Carson shooed him away, pulling the privacy curtain.

"So...You gonna tell Dex?"

Evan raised an eyebrow at the Captain.

"Wouldn't you want to know if it were you?"

Sanchez bobbled his head. "Sure. Still, I don't know about you, but I'm more scared of her than him."

The sound of Jennifer's voice cursing on the other aide of the curtain startled them both and Evan slowly nodded.

"You know what Captain? I think you might be right about that."

SGASGASGA

The look on Ronon's face was not one to be trifled with and the staff parted like a sea as he stalked the halls to the crew quarters.

He was probably going to shoot Lorne when he saw him. He hadn't been able to shoot Carson, but he was definitely going to shoot Lorne.

Carson had taken Jennifer's side and always would if he had to choose, which Ronon had reluctantly come to terms with. But Lorne...Lorne should have known better.

He swiped the door controls and entered their room with hardly a pause. His anger was replaced with concern when he saw the bed empty, but returned quickly when he heard the bathroom door open and Jennifer emerged.

She'd replaced her maternity uniform with a pair of leggings and one of his shirts, hair caught up in a messy bun on top of her head.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Jen blinked at His brusk tone but didn't break her stride. "Going to the bathroom."

"I thought you were put on bed rest." He narrowed his eyes at her as she padded back across the room in bare feet and settled on the bed.

"It's not literal Ronon. And it's only for a couple days so don't get used to it." She said reaching for the medical journal she'd been reading before she'd gotten up.

Ronon frowned, crossing his arms over his chest and glowered at her.

Jen sighed and put down the magazine. "What is it?"

"You told them not to tell me." He said immediately.

"It was nothing! I didn't want you to worry."

"Carson doesn't seem to think it was nothing." He raised an eyebrow at her, indicating the orders for bedrest the older doctor had prescribed.

"Carson is overly cautious."

"And you push yourself too hard."

"Ronon." Jen huffed, tossing her reading aside. "I'm a doctor. I have responsibilities on this expedition. I am not going to stop. Not now and not after the baby is born."

His eyebrows drew together and he uncrossed his arms. "What are you talking about?"

"If you've gotten it into your Macho mind that I'm going to have this baby and just…stop working, stop doing what I do, then you've got another thing coming."

He tilted his head. "Did I say that?" He asked, genuinely confused.

"You didn't have to." Jennifer crossed her arms and turned away.

He stepped forward, trying again. "Is that why you think I'm mad? You think I want you to quit working?"

Jen pursed her lips but didn't respond. She refused to turn toward him when she heard clothes rustling and the thud when he dropped his sword and holster to the floor. The mattress dipped and she felt him crawling across the bed. She stiffened, anticipating his touch, but it never came. Instead, he settled against the headboard beside her.

"I wouldn't ask you to stop."

She turned to look and found him seated with his hands in his lap, his legs crossed at the ankles.

"I wouldn't want you to." He continued evenly.

She swallowed, instantly feeling guilty. She'd gotten lost in her own head, convinced herself he wanted something that he'd never voiced and gotten mad at him about it. And instead of returning her ire he was quietly calming her down with reason and honesty.

_Patient_, she thought. Sometimes she forgot how patient he could be. He hated waiting in enclosed places, he hated being still when there was work to be done. But when it was important, when it came to things that mattered, the man could have the patience of a saint.

"You wouldn't?" She asked meekly.

Ronon turned toward her, his face serious. He stared at her in a way Jennifer recognized as him gathering his thoughts, carefully preparing his words before he spoke.

She waited.

"You are my balance." He began. "Where I hurt things, you heal them. If I bring death, you guard life." Jennifer opened her mouth to cut him off, he was selling himself short but he shook his head, asking her to let him finish. So she did.

"I wouldn't ask you to give up that which makes you whole. I…am a soldier. It's how I was raised, it's what I understand. You are a doctor. For everything else that you are, that is where you draw your strength." He placed one hand on top of hers over her stomach. "This child is of us both. I can never give you more than you are giving me." He licked his lips. "And I will never ask you to do anything you don't want to do unless it means keeping you safe. Thats all I want. For you to be happy. For you to be safe."

He finished and Jennifer realized she'd been holding her breath. She inhaled sharply and blinked past the tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

He shook his head again, reaching up draw a thumb across her cheek.

"Don't be. I didn't know you felt that way."

"It seems stupid now."

"No. I'm glad you said something." He quirked a smile. "Feel better now?"

Jen nodded.

"Good." He leaned over to press a kiss to her forehead. "Need anything?"

Jen shook her head and tucked herself under his arm.

"Just sit with me for a while."

Ronon nodded. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, happy to oblige.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

"Most of the peoples I am familiar with have marriage traditions that are fairly…simple compared to what I have seen of Earth weddings." Teyla sat cross-legged on the floor next to Torren who was crawling around on a blanket beside her.

Laura lifted her head. She was sprawled out on the foot of the bed, painting Jennifer's toenails.

"How many weddings have you been to?"

"None, but I have seen a few on movie night. Are those not indicative of Earth weddings? With all the people and the dancing and the drinking?"

"Yeah. Some of them anyway." Jen giggled. "That tickles!"

"Oh quit your whining." Laura lowered her head and stuck her tongue out one side of her mouth in concentration. "And hold still."

"Is that the type of wedding you desire?"

Jen and Laura both looked up, seeing that the question was directed at both of them, Laura flushed.

"I don't think the Colonel are I are there yet. We're still in the 'can't keep our hands off each other' stage. You know what that's like." She shot Jen a devilish look and the other woman rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well, those days are pretty well behind me now. Feeling like a beached whale doesn't exactly make me want to be a sexual vixen."

"Really? I found the entire experience of carrying a life quite…stimulating."

Again, both women's heads snapped around to Teyla's, eyes wide. Slowly, a grin spread across Teyla's face and she wiggled her eyebrows in a decidedly Laura-like fashion.

All three of the women broke into laughter.

"Oh boy, you've been spending way too much time with this one." Jen said finally.

"Even I'll agree with that."

"Perhaps," Teyla smiled and reached over to retrieve Torren before he managed to escape under a chair in the corner. "But, returning to the point, if you would like me to see if I can gather any information on Satedan weddings when I am off world I would be happy to do so."

Jen nodded. "That would be great. John wasn't nearly as helpful as I would have hoped."

Laura hmm'd her agreement and replaced the nail polish brush. "There. All done." She jumped off the bed and stuck the nail polish in her pocket. "Now, if you will excuse me. I need to get going."

Jen glanced at her watch. Ronon and John should be back from their off world trading any minute.

"They'll be back soon, where are you going?" Often the Lieutenant and Colonel took advantage of their friendship with Ronon and Jen to spend time together that would not raise any eyebrows, especially in the evenings. It seemed odd to Jennifer that Laura wasn't planning to hold to the pattern that night.

"Gonna go get a shower." Laura said, pulling on her shoes.

"Oh, I will come with you and get the bantos you borrowed." Teyla said, starting to stand. "Then you will not have to interrupt your plans later."

"No!" Laura said too quickly, then continued at Teyla's puzzled look. "I mean. If you don't mind, I'll bring them to tomorrow."

"Laura, you just said you were going back to your quarters." Jennifer pressed, confused.

"No, I said I was going to get a shower." Laura turned and sauntered toward the door. "I never said it was _my_ shower."

She winked at them over her shoulder just as the door shut behind her.

SGASGASGA

As the sun set below the horizon turning the sky spectacular shades of red and orange.

"Its an honor, you know?" Laura leaned back against John's chest and sighed, watching the sky change colors. From the roof of the towering North East spire, she could almost imagine they were flying. Almost imagine they were alone. Somewhere in a galaxy far far away where being together didn't mean risking everything they had.

"I'm sure it is." John nodded, the stubble on his chin scratching her cheek. Laura relaxed between his bent legs, his arms resting on either knee beside her. "What's an honor?"

"Witnessing the Bonding ceremony. To be their Firsts. Its an honor." Laura clarified. They'd met Jen and Ronon on the roof almost two hours ago, in addition to being a rooftop with a spectacular view, it was also the site of one of their Surface to Air Defense rail guns the Apollo had installed almost two years prior. Mostly the meeting was so that John and Laura would have an excuse to be there in the first place, the weapons needed maintenance after all.

But Jen had taken the opportunity to explain her plan to Laura so she and John would know what to do when the time came, while Ronon had gone about discussing an upcoming mission with his CO and making the required weapon checks. After Ronon and Jen left, John and Laura had settled in to watch the sunset and she'd quietly passed along what Jen told her.

"Oh, that. I know." John responded. And he did. He hadn't been on speaking terms with his brother when he married and a man from his Frat had been his brother's best man. And it had hurt like hell when John found out, though he'd never said so.

John guessed, in some ways, Ronon was more his brother than his brother was.

"You going to be able to set everything up?" He bent his head and pressed a kiss to her neck. Nuzzling against her he inhaled sharply the scent of soap and peaches.

It felt good to indulge in her. She felt so right next to him, fit so perfectly against him. He could almost forget some of the weight of the mission, of the galaxy, that he felt pressing in on him all the time.

"Yeah." Laura pulled her legs closer and locked her arms loosely around them. The sky darkened and the horizon was turning a deep blood red as the sun disappeared. "But I think it's gonna have to wait until after the baby."

"Makes sense." John nodded, lifting his head. The temperature had gone down with the sun and he felt Laura tremble just slightly so he wrapped his arms around her, using the opportunity to playfully brush against her chest.

"Hey!" She angled her head to look at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" He raised his eyebrows with mock innocence.

"Behave." Laura glared lightly and John laughed.

"When do I ever do otherwise?"

Laura just shook her head, smiling to herself.

"I've been thinking about getting my PhD." She said after a moment.

"Oh yeah? In what?" John readjusted so he could rest his chin on her shoulder.

"Nuclear fission and thermodynamics as they relate to things that go boom."

John snorted. "Is that the title of your dissertation?"

"Just about. Radek has been helping me with it and I'm planning to go back to Earth and defend it before the board in the next month or two."

John raised his eyebrows, surprised. Not so much that she was working toward her PhD, he'd long since stopped being surprised by how smart the young marine was. Mostly just because she hadn't mentioned it before.

"You'll do great." He said, not doubting that she would. He waited, knowing there was more to why she'd brought the subject up.

"My tour is almost up." Laura continued quietly. At her words John stiffened and she leaned forward, untangling herself from his arms. She turned around to face him and John was watching her with careful grey eyes.

"I was thinking…well if I get it I'm going to reapply to the SGC program. If I get in I'm hoping to come back to Atlantis."

John relaxed, even if just a little. The process she was talking about wasn't fast. She'd be gone for months. He could go back to earth occasionally but not often enough. For either of them. Still, he swallowed his worries and smiled his best smile.

"I have a feeling that you'll get that assignment." He reached out to grab a lock of hair from her shoulder, rubbing it between his thumb and forefinger.

"Yeah…they have a a quota to fill." Laura wrinkled her nose. Whether she liked it or not the Atlantis base was populated 4:1 with men, she stood a better chance of returning just because of what she didn't have in her pants than what she did have in her brain.

"No. Because you're the best."

And he said it just like that, like it was a fact. Like it never occurred to him not to accept it as truth and it warmed her insides to know that he believed in her as steadily as he did. John's ability to believe in someone with one hundred percent of his being, despite everything he'd been through, was one of the things she loved about him. To know that she was one of the people that he believed in was something she wouldn't allow herself to take for granted.

"If I do, when I get back I won't be military anymore."

He just stared at her and she forced herself not to fidget nervously, suddenly wishing she could read that damn poker face of his.

"How would you feel about that?" She prompted.

Slowly, seriously, he nodded his head. "I'd like that."

"You would?" She asked, her heart pounding. She flipped her hair, smile full of flirtation and bravado. "And just why is that Colonel Shepherd?"

"Because, Lieutenant Cadman," he let go of the hair he was still fingering and put a hand on her shoulder, pulling her toward him. "Then I can kiss you whenever I want."

"Oh?" She smiled easily, letting him pull her toward him, her heart suddenly pounding for an entirely different reason. "You don't do that already?"

"Well yeah but we can only almost get caught on my desk so many times before our luck runs out." A grin flitted across his face as he tilted his head to one side, leaning forward to meet her. Warm breath on her lips sent shivers down her spine.

"John-" She whispered, protesting half-heartedly their exposed position in full view of the roof access door.

"At ease, Lieutenant." His whisper sent goosebumps exploding across her skin and she moaned when his teeth caught her bottom lip. She melted against him, fisting her hands in his shirt, fully, completely, whole-heartedly at ease in his arms.

"Aye sir."

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

"What are those things anyway?"

Ronon glanced over his shoulder at John and then followed his gaze to the small table on the far wall. On it were a half dozen small wooden blocks with engraved symbols, as well as their weapon's and John's TAC vest.

"Toys." Ronon responded, returning his focus to retrieving one of the knives he had stuffed up his gauntlets.

"What do those symbols mean?"

"Alphabet."

"Satedan?"

Ronon grunted, partially in answer and partially out of frustration. It wasn't as if he'd never been tied up before. In fact, as unlawful imprisonment went, this was a relatively easy one. They were tied to a pole, seated back to back on the floor. And while there were no windows, the door was made of wood and Ronon would make quick work of it once he was free.

It was more the principal of the matter. He was just not in the mood for kidnapping today.

"We have similar toys on earth. Personally I like Nintendo for my educational games." Shepherd wasn't exactly concerned about the situation. He'd seen Ronon work his way out of enough bindings to know these would pose little trouble for the man. And they hadn't been unconscious when they arrived, so he had a pretty good idea of the layout of the building, how many unfriendlies there were and how far to the gate. He just needed to kill some time until Ronon got them free.

"So you hoping for a boy or a girl?" Shepherd tried again.

"Did they drug you or something?" Ronon snapped. He stretched his fingers. Just a little further and he would be able to pull the knife free.

"Hey look I'm just trying to bring some levity to a tense situation but if you'd rather sit here in silence. Be my guest." John huffed with a note of finality.

Ronon sighed.

"A girl."

John raised an eyebrow, craning to see his friend over his shoulder.

"Really? I wouldn't have guessed that."

Ronon grunted. "I had all sisters." He wasn't sure he knew what to do with a boy. He knew how girls dressed and acted. The only boy he'd ever known was himself. And he wasn't sure if he wanted a boy like him.

"Hm," John nodded, accepting the reasoning. "It will be nice for Torren to have a playmate. Especially as he gets older."

John felt Ronon stiffen as if he'd just thought of something. He was about to ask when Ronon grumbled again.

"Changed my mind. A boy."

Yes. Boy was much safer.

John smiled a little at the sudden change of heart, then smiled more when he felt Ronon's arms come loose with a satisfied grunt from the other man.

"Nice one Chewie!"

A few seconds later and they were both free. Ronon set about reattaching his holsters and dropping the wooden blocks in his pockets.

"What about that Satedan tradition you mentioned?" Shepherd asked, pulling on his TAC vest.

"What about it?"

"What is it?"

"Names." Ronon went to the door to keep watch while John slid his knife into his boot and checked the clip on his P90. "It's tradition to name a firstborn after their grandparents on Sateda."

"You gonna do that?" Shepherd asked, joining Ronon at the door, his grip loose but steady on his weapon.

"Yeah." Ronon leaned back and with one swift kick the door to their room flew open.

"Cool." He nodded down the hallway. "Lets get Rodney and Teyla and get out of here."

SGASGASGA

Jen stretched luxuriantly. Beside her on the bed, the movie Laura had lent her was rolling credits. She'd reached a compromise with Carson and was working only half day shifts in order to get what he deemed to be enough rest. She had to admit, the muscle cramps that had nearly debilitated her that day in the infirmary had become a lot more manageable since she began her new lighter schedule.

Still, it left her with a lot of extra time on her hands and she wasn't sure how she would survive the next month until her due date.

"Alright Jelly Bean," She levered herself up off the bed and stretched, the ache in her lower back an annoying but constant companion these days. It had gotten a little worse since the previous night but she assumed it was because of all the extra laying around she'd been doing. Her fingers kneaded the muscle as she eyed the food Lorne had brought her for lunch a few minutes ago. "We're going to dive into this as soon as I pee. Again. Thanks for that by the way."

Jen was halfway to the bathroom when she felt it. She paused, frowning, and tilted her head. There was warmth suddenly between her legs and the pain in her back spread forward. She reached one hand out to the wall, a sinking feeling dropping into her stomach.

She peaked between her feet and was only marginally comforted to find that her water had not, in fact, broken. She moved to take a step forward but stopped immediately when sound dropped out, replaced by a high pitched ringing in her ears and gray around the edges of her vision.

Swallowing convulsively, Jen squeezed her eyes shut and felt her way along the wall to the bathroom. She dropped onto the lid of the toilet, heart pounding and exhausted from the ten steps it had taken to get there. She pushed against the feeling that the world was suddenly far away, muffled and distant. She bit her lip, blinking hard, using all her concentration to fumble with her waistband. Something persistent, something she couldn't pinpoint, told her she needed to look. Needed to see.

And then she did.

_Blood_. Her head told her, momentarily too shocked to feel panic. _There is blood._

_There shouldn't be blood._

Jen's stomach cramped again and she winced, bracing her hands against the wall. She pushed back on the pain, trying to pull forward years of medical training to triage her own situation.

She needed to focus. Needed to stay present.

_Don't pass out. Don't pass out._ She ordered herself. She had to keep her head clear. There was blood. The world was gray and blurry and far away. She needed a medical kit…needed the infirmary…needed...

_Ronon._

"Ronon." She tried to call out to him, unsure if she'd even made a noise.

He didn't come. She frowned, her breathing coming in shallow erratic breaths. Ronon wasn't there, he'd gone off world with SGA1. If not him then who?

_Laura_.

Yes. Laura. Laura was on the base.

Jennifer's radio clicked to life in her ear. She didn't remember touching it to activate it but she was all at once relieved that she'd kept wearing it in case one of the staff needed to speak to her outside of her reduced shift hours.

"Keller," she exhaled, pressing her eyes shut again. "To Cadman."

"_Jen?"_ Laura's voice came back immediately. "_What's wrong?"_

"Laura," she breathed again. _Help. I need Help Laura. Bring Carson. Get Ronon._ She couldn't find the energy to say all the things she needed to, but thankfully, Laura had been her best friend for a while now. She didn't need to say the words.

"_I'm on my way."_

Jen wondered if Laura had been at the other end of the city when she responded, because it seemed like hours had passed between when her friend responded to her call and when she burst into the bathroom, Carson in tow. She sighed in as relief washed over her, so happy not to be alone anymore.

Laura's steps stuttered as she rushed through the doorway into the bathroom and before she could gather herself Carson had pushed past her and was crouching in front of her friend. Jennifer was slumped over on the lid of the toilet, her skin pale and her hair stuck to her forehead and face with sweat.

But the thing that turned the other woman's stomach to stone was the sight of blood, so much blood, between her legs, on the hem of her shirt and on her hands.

There wasn't supposed to be blood.

"Jennifer? Can you hear me?" Carson's accent was thicker, the way it always was when he was worried.

Jen nodded, blinking hard.

"Carson," she said, her voice thick with unshed tears.

"Don't ye worry, lass. I'm going to take care of you, alright? You're going to be fine. Cadman?" He glanced over his shoulder at the marine still frozen near the door.

"Lieutenant!" He barked. Laura straightened and her gaze snapped to his. "Help me get her out into the wheelchair in the bedroom."

Laura was at his side in seconds and they both hooked one of Jen's arms over their shoulders, shimmying sideways through the narrow bathroom and doorway, out into the bedroom where an orderly held the wheelchair steady for them. Gently, they set Jen into the seat and it was a testament to how worried and exhausted she was that Jen didn't voice even a word of protest.

"Carson what's happening?" Laura asked, calling upon years of military training to keep her voice steady in spite of the worry she felt burning in her chest.

"I can't be sure without further tests but I think it might be a Placental Abruption. If I can't stop it we'll have to deliver the baby." He spoke in low tones but Jennifer's eyes still popped open and she looked at him. In a single glance the two doctor's seemed to communicate an entire conversation and she pursed her lips, nodding.

Carson shooed the orderly away and began pushing Jennifer's wheelchair out of the room and down the hall. Jen reached out and grasped Laura's arm with surprising strength, pulling her alongside.

"Laura," she began, eyes closed against the pain that was flowing in waves through her back and stomach.

"I'm right here, J. I'm not going anywhere." She furrowed her brow, confused when her friend shook her head.

"No. Go to the gate room. Talk to Woolsey…make them dial SGA1."

"I can do that from here," Laura reached up to tap her radio, but stopped when Jen's grip tightened again. She ignored Carson's orders as he shouted for curious onlookers to clear the way.

"No. You go meet him in the gateroom. Explain what's happening. Do it face to face. Don't make him hear it over the radio." She said, squeezing her wrist to emphasize her words.

Laura nodded. "Okay. Okay, I will."

Jen released her arm and Laura stopped, allowing Carson to wheel his charge into the transporter without her.

"Love you, Keller." She said quietly.

Jen tried to smile. "Love you too, Laur."

The doors shut and a moment later they opened again, this time empty. Laura stepped inside and jammed her finger against the center of the map, trying to figure out what exactly she would say when she got there.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: A long time ago I wrote a fic called "The Lost Children of Atlantis" under my other profile _pdljmpr6_. If you've read that, you'll know why I mention it when you get to the end. -Punk**

Laura was surprised to hear the gate activating as she approached the gateroom from behind the marines always stationed to guard incoming wormholes.

"Colonel Sheppard's IDC." She heard Chuck call out, followed immediately by Woolsey's remark that they were atypically ahead of schedule.

One after another Teyla, Rodney, John and then Ronon appeared through the event horizon.

"Not only were those power readings coming from useless radiation. If Mr. Daddy over there had just accepted the price they gave us for the crib and baby cage thing we wouldn't have been in the mess in the first place." Rodney complained, face red from running.

"I told you it wasn't a fair price." Ronon growled.

"Baby cage?" Teyla raised a wary eyebrow.

"He means playpen." John muttered dismissively, catching sight of Laura's red hair before her face as she emerged from the shadows under the stairs at a jog.

"Ronon, I need you to come with me." She called out to him, waving him over to her. Her eyes met John's briefly and his stomach clenched at the worry he saw swirling in them. Ronon didn't hesitate, slipping his blaster into his holster as he followed Laura back the way she'd come at a run.

John and Teyla exchanged a look before falling into a run behind them, John ordering Rodney to breif Woolsey before he joined them. They slipped into the transporter just before it closed, Laura halfway through her explanation, one calming hand on Ronon's forearm.

"She's in good hands Ronon. Carson is prepping her now. When we get there you need to get scrubbed up so you can be in the OR, okay?"

Ronon's expression was closed, staring at the transporter doors. Three pairs of eyes bored into him, worry and tension thick enough in the small space to reach out and touch.

As soon as the transporter doors swished open Ronon was gone, making his way to the infirmary at a dead run.

In the infirmary organized chaos hummed in time with machines and voices. Ronon frowned as his eyes scanned the flurry of activity, looking for Jennifer's familiar form. There, toward the back, he saw Carson and, when a nurse moved aside, he caught sight of Jennifer laying on her back on a gurney.

He plowed across the room toward her, shrugging off the hands of another doctor, and then a nurse, talking to him, trying to pull him off course.

"Back off!" he barked, turning quickly toward Dr. Munn who was babbling about 'scrubs' and 'mask' and 'prep'. The man's hands flew off of his arms as if burned.

Ronon didn't care about these words. Didn't care about the concern or alarm in the nurse's face beside him. There was only Jennifer now. He pulled away from them again and this time ran into the warm, surprisingly steady form of Carson Beckett. He wore scrubs, his hair tied under a surgical cap and his face mask hanging loosely from his neck.

"Now look here, Ronon, we're on our way to the OR." The Scot stepped to one side, then the other, preventing the Satedan from passing him to get to the woman in the bed. "Just ye go with Dr. Munn and get scrubbed up, you can join us when you're finished."

Ronon's eyes flashed and he put his hands firmly on both of Carson's shoulders, without a word he moved the man to one side and stepped away from him.

"Carson, it's okay." Jen nodded. Her hair was caught up into a hair net, and her body covered from shoulder to knee with a surgical blanket.

Ronon's eyes were intense and dark, but in contrast to the barely restrained rage that had flowed from him before, now his hands were gentle as he caught her fingers in one, and laid the other on top of her head.

"What's going on?" He asked, an uncharacteristic tremble in his quiet voice.

Cadman had explained, but he hadn't understood. The only words he'd comprehended were 'blood' and 'problem' and 'OR'. After that all he'd been able to see was a tunnel to Jennifer's face and he knew the buzzing in his ears wouldn't go away until she could explain what was happening to her. To their child.

Carson, Marie and a few nurses began wheeling the bed out of the infirmary toward the OR and Ronon fell into step beside them, his eyes never leaving Jennifer's.

She licked her lips, wanting to explain in words that he would understand, that would comfort him.

"The placenta, the organ that connects the baby to me…it separated from the uterus." She explained, watching him carefully. They moved through intermittent brightness from overhead lights as they made their way down the hall. Beside the bed Marie read Jennifer's vitals aloud to Carson from a tablet. "Carson is going to surgically deliver the baby so it can get the oxygen it needs."

Ronon shook his head, his mouth dry. "But it's too early."

Jen squeezed his hand. "It will be okay. They have an incubator ready to go. She'll be fine."

Ronon's breath caught.

"She?" He croaked, his mind frozen on the word.

Jen blinked, a tear ran out the corner of her eye and down the side of her face into her hair and she smiled.

"I changed my mind."

They arrived at the OR doors and Marie put a hand on Ronon's arm to stop him from entering.

His eyes held onto Jennifer's until their gaze was broken by a nurse stepping between them.

The doors closed and Ronon blinked, turning to look at Marie.

"A girl." He whispered, clearly star struck.

"Let go get you into scrubs, Dad." She smiled encouragingly. "So we can get you back into the room with your girls."

SGASGASGA

John pulled up beside Laura in the observation room, followed by Rodney and Teyla. Laura glanced at him, her arms folded tightly over her chest, before returning her eyes to the OR isolation room below.

John stood with his hands in his pockets close enough she could feel heat radiating off of him and she shifted her weight to one side, pressing the length of her upper arm against his. She took comfort in the contact when he moved to lean into her.

"You okay?" He asked quietly, his eyes still gazing toward the activity in the room below.

Laura sighed. "Yeah."

"Not very convincing."

She bit her lip, and didn't respond. Tears sprang to her eyes and she blinked hard to keep them at bay. She was worried. Her best friend and her new niece were in danger and there wasn't a damn thing she could do but stand there and wait.

No. She wasn't okay. Not by a long shot.

She felt warmth surround her and realized John had lifted his arm and draped it across her shoulders. Despite being in full view of the OR, she shrunk toward him, relishing in his warmth and strength. She leaned her head down against his shoulder. John turned and pressed a kiss to her hair, squeezing her shoulders.

"They'll be fine."

She nodded.

After a moment John caught Rodney's eyes over Laura's head. He raised his eyebrows meaningfully.

Rodney frowned, confused. He lifted his hands to the side, silently asking what his friend wanted.

John tilted his head and moved his eyes to Teyla, to Rodney, to Teyla, then to Laura. He raised his eyebrows again.

Rodney's frown deepened.

"Wha-"

From his other side Teyla grabbed Rodney's arm and lifted it, sliding herself underneath and hugging her body to his side.

"I believe the Colonel would like us to help cover for him." She responded quietly to Rodney's slightly shocked, very questioning look.

"Oh." He cleared his throat, pushing his free hand into his pocket. "Well why didn't he just say so."

Below in the OR, and unaware of the antics of the adults above them, Carson straightened from his bent over position, making a satisfied noise in the back of his throat.

"Aye, there's a good lass."

Entranced, Ronon watched Carson lift the tiny, wriggling baby girl with steady hands. His child.

His _daughter_.

Too overwhelmed to put names to any of the emotions crashing into him, Ronon turned an almost blank look toward the pressure on his arm and he saw Marie pressing a pair of medical scissors into his hand.

"You want to cut the umbilical?"

Instead of answering he turned to look at Jennifer. She gave him a tired smile and nodded imperceptibly.

Swallowing hard, Ronon hesitantly took the implement from Marie and did as she directed. Ronon didn't understand the significance but the way the Earthers were all smiling softly at him he thought it must have been important where they were from, and his chest swelled with warmth.

As soon as the cord was severed Marie was beside Carson holding a warm towel and the doctor carefully helped her swaddle the infant in it as she fussed and squirmed. A tiny cry pierced the quiet of the OR and Carson laughed.

"That's it lass! Oh, she's got right tidy lungs on her, hasn't she?" He smiled. "Marie, take her to be checked out please, and then place her in the incubator."

Marie started to walk away, taking the new, tiny being with her and Ronon opened his mouth as if to speak, taking a small step after her.

"It's okay, Ronon. They're just going to check her out. She came a little bit early." Jennifer's quiet voice sounded from below him and he looked down. She nodded. "It's okay."

With a deep breath Ronon listened with half an ear as Carson began giving out orders to get Jennifer stitched up so they could get her to recovery. Replacing his hand in hers, Ronon moved his eyes up to the observation room where John had Laura pressed tightly into his side.

John met his eyes and nodded. He said something to Laura, who shook her head and stood away from him slightly as he withdrew his arm. John placed a quick kiss on her cheek and moved to leave. A moment later Rodney rolled his eyes and followed.

Ronon relaxed slightly, returning his gaze to Jennifer's prone form, knowing his friend would go put eyes on his daughter and she would be safe until he could go see to her for himself.

"How did she look?" Jennifer asked, blinking up at him languidly.

Ronon leaned forward, stroking her sweaty forehead with his gloved thumb.

"She's beautiful. Just like you." He pressed his lips against Jennifer's softly and she returned his kiss as much as she could. "You did it."

Jen smiled and sighed. "We did it."

SGASGASGA

Ronon's heart was bursting.

He'd never felt so…full. Gazing down into the sleeping face of his daughter, he felt as if every broken piece of his soul had been found and returned to him, brighter than they'd been even when they were whole. She was soft and warm and tiny, so very very tiny. It was almost comical to think the huge belly Jennifer had complained about 'lugging around' for the past few months had been occupied by such a tiny, little being. His hands dwarfed her as he stared down at her cradled carefully in his arms against his chest. She was perfect.

She had lightly tanned skin and a head full of dark hair, a fact everyone kept marveling at when they saw her.

Earlier when John, Cadman, Rodney and Teyla had visited they'd each reached for the small child, holding her carefully in turn. His heart had burned with worry and fear and joy and wonder while they held her, then it jumped into his throat every time they passed her from one set of arms to the next. He hadn't been able to keep his hands from reaching toward her, wanting to create an extra layer of protection in case she slipped through their fingers.

She was just so _small_.

How was it something so small could fill his heart so completely?

Pride. Protect. Shelter. Love. All the words he could think of felt small, insignificant to what he felt washing over him. The small child's nose wrinkled and her mouth went wide with a yawn, then smoothed in sleep again. She hunched her shoulders, curling inward toward the warmth of his chest.

His hand rested gently against her head, his thumb rubbed soft dark curls.

And he knew.

He knew, with every fiber of his being, he would do anything for this child. Would fight for her. Bleed for her. Given the chance, the choice, he would die for her.

To keep her happy. To keep her safe.

"Ronon?"

He looked up, surprised to see Jennifer was awake and had pushed herself to a more upright position in the bed. Immediately he stood from the chair beside her and leaned down, gently placing the baby in her waiting arms.

"Say hello to your daughter." He said quietly, leaning close as Jennifer bent her head, getting a good look at the sleeping child.

"Hello Jelly Bean." She slid one finger into a tiny balled fist. "Aren't you just the prettiest thing in two galaxies?"

Ronon nodded his agreement.

Jennifer looked up at him, a question on her brow. "Why isn't she in the incubator?"

Ronon smiled, first at her, then down at their daughter.

"She didn't need it. Doc said she was healthy. Must be the Satedan in her," he grinned. Instead of rolling her eyes like he thought she would, Jen smiled back at him and bobbled her head.

"Maybe it is."

Unable to bring himself to go back to his chair, Ronon instead carefully climbed up onto the bed beside Jennifer and eased her back so that she was leaning against him. His long arms encircled them both and she sighed, resting her eyes, feeling more whole than she'd ever thought possible.

Ronon looked down at the small ID bracelet on his daughter's wrist that Jennifer was fiddling with idly.

_Camaiya Anne Dex._

Of Sateda. Of Earth.

Of Atlantis.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Parts of the vows are taken from a Native American wedding blessing. - Punk**

EPILOGUE

Ronon walked down the hallway beside Shepherd toward his quarters, baby Camaiya cradled in his arms as the child fussed lightly. He switched arms and she quieted.

"You're getting pretty good at that, Big Guy." Shepherd commented, trying not to look like he was fidgeting. Not that Ronon would have noticed. The man had been positively distractible for the past month since his child had been born. He was secretly glad he'd accepted the temporary break from missions while Jennifer was recovering. It gave him time with both women and John thought the Satedan needed it more than he realized. It had been a long nine months.

Ronon grunted in response and didn't look up from his daughter's face when they crossed a hallway intersection and a pair of marines called out a 'hello' to them both.

Yup. Very distractable.

John inhaled deeply when he caught sight of the Dex quarters up ahead. The new quarters were bigger than the ones either he or Jennifer had had before, it included a separate bedroom and a small kitchenette area so they could prepare small meals in the room. His eyes slid over to Ronon who was giving him a funny look when he noticed John's sudden stiffness.

Maybe he wasn't as distracted as John thought.

"What?" John asked.

Ronon just narrowed his eyes.

They paused outside the doors and John couldn't help himself. He grinned.

"You ready?"

Ronon frowned. "For what?"

Instead of answering John swiped his hand over the control and the doors swished open.

Inside the room was dimly lit, the air warm with the light from several dozen lit candles spaced all over the room. His eyes roamed over the space as he crossed the threshold, John at his back. Sheer tapestries had been hung like curtains along the walls, muting sound and imbuing depth of color to the austere Ancient space. To his right Laura, Evan, Teyla who held Torren on one hip, Rodney, Marie and Carson were lined up, watching him with warmth and slight bemusement. He understood their looks. If this was what he thought it was, the entire scene would have been foreign to them. They couldn't fully understand.

Yet they were here. His friends. His family. Had come to share this with him.

Emotions that had been running much closer to the surface than he was used to lately, began to overwhelm him and he swallowed convulsively. His head snapped to the corner where he saw movement. Slowly, Jennifer moved into the dim circle of candlelight, her hair brushed her shoulders in loose face framing waves. Her body was draped in a flowing light blue fabric that was belted high on her waist with a strip of braided leather inlaid with a gold cord.

His mouth dropped open slightly and he inhaled deep, wishing to slow his hammering heart. His eyes fell to the floor in front of her where a simple stool stood with only a glass of red wine on it. On the floor in front of it were two small red velvet cushions.

Needing a moment to gather himself, Ronon blinked and looked down at the baby in his arms. Then, wordlessly, because his throat was too dry and swollen with shock and love and joy to speak anyway, he turned toward the line of friends beside him and passed the cooing baby girl into Lorne's waiting arms. He looked up and found the pilot smiling at him and beside him, Laura's grin was beaming bright enough to double the candlelight in the room.

"Surprised?" She asked.

Ronon just nodded.

That was certainly a word for it.

"John, for what do you present this man?"

Jennifer's voice, calm but commanding, spun Ronon back around and he saw she was standing in front of one of the cushions on the floor, bare toes peeking out from beneath the hem of her elegant dress.

Ronon had almost forgotten his best friend, who had stopped behind him just inside the door. He looked down and saw that John had removed his combat boots and was standing barefoot on the cool dark tile floor. A quick glance around told him that everyone else had also removed their shoes and socks. John stepped forward, shoulders drawn back, spine straight. Instead of looking at Jennifer, he looked at Ronon, an eyebrow raised in question.

A look at Jennifer told him this was part of the plan. If he didn't want this, this was his chance to say so. She was giving him an out.

He didn't need it.

He gave his friend a quick nod and squatted, hastily removing his boots while the other man spoke.

"I am John Shepherd. I am the First. I present this man to you for Bonding."

Jen's eyes were on his and when he straightened and he took one more deep breath finding suddenly that the shock he'd felt had been replaced by intense joy, so much so that he almost laughed out loud just to give it an outlet.

Instead he stepped forward, bare feet moving silently across the room until he faced Jennifer, the two cushions on the floor between them.

"Laura," his voice was low and confident, words he'd only ever spoken one other time in his life fell from his lips. "For what do you present this woman?"

He felt Laura step forward until she was beside Jennifer, John came behind her and stood at Ronon's own elbow.

"I am Laura Cadman. The First. I present this woman to you for the Bonding."

Ronon's eyes never left Jen's and he took hold of John's forearm and, though he didn't need help, allowed the man to support him as he knelt down until his knees rested on the cushion on the floor, Laura doing the same for Jen. Then in his periphery he watched as John and Cadman walked around them both to stand behind the stool between them, facing their small, intimate audience.

"The Bonding is permanent, two souls become one," John said, his voice just a touch gentler than it would be if he were drilling marines in the gym. "Do you both understand what you have come here today to vow?"

"We do." Ronon and Jennifer answered in unison.

Laura took a deep breath, her voice steady despite the happy tears springing to her eyes.

"From now on Jennifer will feel no rain, Ronon will shelter her. She will feel no cold, for his arms will encircle her."

John picked up where Laura left off. "Ronon will never again know lonlieness, Jennifer is his companion. Her beauty will surround him in the journey ahead and through the years to come."

"May happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the ground." The Colonel and the Lieutenant finished the Satedan blessing in unison.

Jennifer reached for Ronon's hand, a shy smile on her lips and he grasped it, squeezing her fingers in his palm. She spoke first, knowing her lines by rote, she'd recited them so many times to herself in the previous weeks.

"One heart. Two bodies. Our path is straight." She used her free hand to pick up the glass of wine, bringing it to her lips she took a few sips, then passed the glass to Ronon.

"Storms will come, but they will pass. Together we walk." Ronon swallowed a smile along with a sip of the dry red wine. He set the glass back down on the stool beside him.

Her voice joined his as they continued.

"That which has always been mine, is now forever yours. Friends before strangers. Family before friends."

"Love above all." The chorus of voices around them startled Ronon and he stumbled over the last bit of the vow, shocked that these Earthers, foreigners, knew their part so well.

And then...not. She knew. She had found a way to learn about the Bonding and she'd made this happen.

This time he didn't hold back his smile as the rest of their friends came and formed a circle around them. His heart was filled with the desire to thank them. To thank _her_.

Instead, Carson's Scottish brogue broke the light but somber mood.

"On Earth we end weddings with a kiss, Big Man."

Jennifer laughed and Ronon tilted his head. Who was he to argue with tradition?

With a gentle tug he pulled her toward him and Jennifer let herself fall into his arms and into his kiss. Cheers, clapping and laughter erupted from the surrounding group as they praised the gesture and helped the newlyweds to their feet.

Laura crossed her arms and leaned over to speak quietly only to John, watching the others congratulate the couple with handshakes and hugs.

"You taking notes, flyboy?"

John smirked at her. "Should I be?"

Laura didn't turn her head, but smiled and slid her eyes over to glance at him before turning away. "I suppose that depends."

"On what?"

"On whether you want a traditional Satedan wedding or not."

John's eyebrows hit his hairline.

Laura laughed and lifted his arm, shrugging herself tightly into his side.

"Don't look so surprised." She leaned her head on his shoulder and he automatically tightened his arm around her. "I'm gonna have to make an honest man out of you at some point, Shepherd."

He nodded, smiling when Ronon leaned down to kiss the baby that Jennifer now held cradled in her arms.

"Yeah, you're probably right. If you don't put a ring on it soon my honor is going to be irreparably damaged."

Laura laughed before ducking out from under his arm, unable to stand being in the room any longer without holding the new baby. John watched her cross the space and gently extract the child from Jennifer's arms, cooing and nuzzling the child's dark hair. There had been a time when he was certain no one else would occupy the place in his heart where his family, and later his ex wife, had at some point vacated. Now, watching Laura coo over Camaiya, he realized she'd somehow moved in when he wasn't looking.

And he certainly wasn't going to kick her out now.

"Alright, Buddy," Shepherd announced, clapping his hands together. "Now it's time to introduce you to another Earth wedding tradition. It's called 'The Electric Slide'."

**END - Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed!**


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